Devils Never Cry
by redheadturkey
Summary: The first story in the Furyverse arc. Warnings for Mpreg/gender confusion, graphic male/male sex, torture, adult themes. A Turk and a demon slayer get involved in ways they shouldn't, and it changes the lives of both in unforeseen ways.
1. Chapter 1

A dim lamp across the room from the half-demon was the only other light in the room aside from the computer screen that he was currently staring at. Violet eyes had long since gone cross-sighted, but he refused to go back to sleep until he had figured out what he needed to figure out.

Dante sighed and leaned back, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes and tilted the chair onto two legs. "Nothin'... not a damn thing on what I wanna know..." He was annoyed, far from placated, and he was beginning to get frustrated as Hell. "Probably just my imagination anyways... Verg ain't normally like that, so I probably AM just imaginin' it..." He muttered to himself, reaching forward to flick the monitor off. He needed his sleep anyway, if the line-up of missions for the next day was any indicator of how late they'd be out.

He could hear the bed shift above him, and he sighed again, standing up to head back up to his twin. He'd noticed a growing irritability with Vergil, especially since he'd struck up a friendship with a couple of the Turks from ShinRa, as well as a few of the SOLDIERs. He carefully avoided the trick stair that squealed loudly if stepped on after midnight, something he figured Vergil had done to try and trick him.

Once he was back in the room he shared with his brother, he stripped out of his sweats and lay back down, nuzzling into the pale neck. "Love you, Verg."

As soon as Dante slid into bed, a very naked and very heated body was atop him, Vergil moving onto Dante gracefully, one hard thrust from his pelvis into Dante's groin to assert the dominance he was feeling these days, accompanied by a bite to the throat--not hard, but enough to hold him in place for a moment--and then he slid back off again, point made. Or so he hoped.

"What were you doing, Dante, where were you? You know I wake up when you leave me..."

At 22, Vergil had come fully into young manhood, and he moved like a lithe panther, walking with pride but no swagger, a silken stride that was neither a strut nor a display, more of a stalk, every step predatory, his eyes glancing from side to side as he entered a room.

Vergil PROWLED.

And when they went on missions now, Vergil would literally sniff the air at times, feral, demonic, primal senses coming into play more and more--and he also increasingly encouraged it, actively. Whereas Dante rejected his demonic side almost by second nature, Vergil was yearning for his infernal side with even greater fervor. Now he slithered his warm body against his twin's, his lips finding and claiming his twin's, aggressively, no more the sweetness and tease of bygone nights, now only a power play, with love as the backdrop.

Dante was, as he saw it, HIS, body, soul, future and past, every inch and every thought and every desire and every need was owned, as only Vergil was capable of seeing it now.

"You know you belong by my side, Dante..."

"Was downstairs lookin' somethin' up for tomorrow." Dante barely even reacted to the bite or the hard thrust except to squirm a bit because any sort of movement like that got him hot and bothered easily. He couldn't push Vergil away when he felt his older twin making himself comfortable, nuzzling up to him, so he settled for wrapping his arms around him, pulling him closer as he returned the kiss.

He had barely heard what Vergil had said after the kiss, likely because he was so USED to hearing it. and he blipped over the tone of voice that the other used, not hearing the near-feral growl to it, the strong tone of ownership that was infused within it. "Yeah, I know Verg..." He nuzzled into the pale neck and rolled over, placing himself between Vergil's legs, pushing them a little further apart.

"Should be gettin' more sleep, got a long day tomorrow..." He murmured, leaning down and over Vergil, "But you got me all riled now... think you MEANT to do that, didn't you?" He felt something off with the entire thing, but he couldn't deny his needs, not if he wanted to be useful at all the next day. He was still shocked at being MADE to come home from the Seventh Heaven earlier in the night, and he was still trying to fathom just why there was, what seemed to him to be, a too-quick and rapid change coming over his brother.

Vergil slid closer to the edge of the bed, even with Dante basically mounting him already--and retrieved something from between the mattress and the box springs. The small vial of expensive scented oil was something he had been pleading--and now was demanding--that Dante use. "USE this, this time, look, I'll just apply it, since that seems to be too much--you think I like when you send all that up me dry, Dante?"

He writhed around so he could take hold of his brother's truly magnificent erection, already thudding with heat for him--just for him and no one else, as he liked to think of it. Vergil's strong hand slicked the oil over and down, pulling the foreskin tightly over as he applied the sweet scented oil, and the feel of that lovely weapon in his grasp began to have its effect on him as well. The veins were heavily cabled through it, and the sheer vitality of it, the potent thumping of its arousal sent shivers down his spine.

Gracefully his long legs went up and around his twin's back, high and wrapping around.

"Match me, Dante..."

"Pussy." Dante stated, smirking at Vergil as he let the other prepare him. "You can take me stabbing you through with one of Dad's blades...but can't take my cock dry? You ARE a pussy." He knew that Vergil HATED being called that, but really, he couldn't stop himself when he got started, simply because it was in his nature to annoy and pester his twin.

He slid into Vergil easily, eyes falling shut as he felt the tightness threatening to send him over the edge, a sharp gasp falling from his lips. "Feel so good, baby... love it, love you." He leaned his head down and nipped at the pale neck, one hand running up to tangle in the white locks of his twin.

"DAMN it Dante, don't call me a fucking PUSSY, you KNOW I hate that...and it's different, the blades are sharp, it's--just a DIFFERENT pain, a totally different sensation. You KNOW this."

He finally hissed this out, exasperated. But his anger was short lived, as the deep throb of his brother began to slide in and out, forcing out the soft moans, forcing him to come to grips with the love.

The DAMNABLE, weakening, crippling LOVE.

It was, as he understood now, his Achilles' heel, the deep and gaping chink in his armor. The love for Dante, which at this point was shared for no others save their parents. There was NO love in Vergil's heart for anyone else now but family, and even THAT love was tottering, never really ABLE to be slain, but the flame MUTED. Vergil had in his long nights of study come to the conclusion that it was a VICE to love, and that the attachment to another being was the last thing standing in his WAY. And he already knew he was going to have to BREAK this off.

Give up the sweetness of their affair, the perfect bliss of being Dante's lover and twin and pretty much the heaven of that.

Give it ALL up.

So that in the END, the very end, he could return and be powerful enough to protect his beloved--because at this point he was not, and he knew this.

In the name of their love, and FOR their love, he would have to destroy it first--and then like a phoenix, it would once again arise, in a world rid of all threats--and all humans.

Unaware of Vergil's thoughts, thankfully, Dante continued his careful and loving ministrations. One strong hand reached down and wrapped around the matching length, pumping him in time with each thrust, leaning down to catch his twin's lips in a deep kiss. If he knew what his brother was planning, what his pretty little head had THOUGHT about... then he likely wouldn't have been doing this, would have been out the door because he needed to think, to get AWAY.

As it stood, at that moment, Dante was oblivious, and would remain so until it was too late, and he would suffer greatly from the harsh words, and even harsher actions of his brother.

"It's all for you, Dante, everything, all of it, keep that in mind. Always..."

It was cryptic, and Vergil was not likely to ever repeat it. But in the horrors to come--and Vergil knew just how terrible it would be for his brother--he could only hope that Dante could look back on this, and take some small measure of comfort. To protect both of them, Vergil was going to have to do this thing with the total concentration of his Will -- and he could not ALLOW paltry and weak hearted sentiment to SWAY him from the course.

For love, he would do this. For love, he would hate. And for love, he would KILL.

Letting the flush of pleasure rise up in cascading waves, Vergil wondered if this might be the last time he and Dante would make love for a long time--and he wanted to make it good, make it perfect, tightening around the thick shaft to seize it into absolute ecstasy. Riding up onto each thrust, bringing them both to a shattering, violent fulfillment.

Endless.

In the after time, lying in his favorite place, head nestled in the crook of the mighty arm, sleep coming for him, Vergil plotted, and even now, even in what was one of the last happy moments with his beloved, he could not still his raging thoughts, the yearning to have this begin was already ripping at his mind.

Let it begin so that it might be over, and he could come home again, on bended knee--and take back what was forever his.

Reno was leaning back on the sofa in the apartment he was sharing with his partner. He and Rude had only been partners for maybe six months at this point in time, and he was drinking a beer after having come back from a mission he would rather forget all about. The pay was WONDERFUL, and living above the plate was something Reno had never imagined DOING, but there were days he just wished he could do something ELSE. "I swear on my LIFE, Rude, if Fair scratches up my bike in the parking lot ONE MORE TIME I am going to string him up by his fucking hair and shove that overgrown Bowie knife up his shithole." He couldn't help but chuckle when he remembered the three had been there TOGETHER.

"Emobutt had him so damn distracted he wasn't even watching the fucking car door, of course that might be because Strife was trying to eat his fucking FACE. That might also be why the General never lets him drive." Reno took a deep guzzle off the brew in his hand, then sighed, thinking of the event that had occurred just a couple of hours before. "I ain't EVER seen Vergil look like that before, Partner. . .when he came into the Heaven looking for Dante, I swear, it looked like he wanted to KILL someone." He snorted as he set the beer down on the coffee table without remembering to put a coaster down, something that drove Rude nuts usually, but oh well.

He'd had his eye on Dante for a while of course, not that he'd even THINK of touching him with Vergil there, the man would kill him in the blink of an eye, and he KNEW it. There was no even THINKING of chasing the half devil with his brother always on his ass. The look Vergil had shot Reno himself had given the teen CHILLS, and he'd just been TALKING to Dante, nothing more, hadn't even been touching him. "Did you see that shit, Rude? He woulda been GLAD to rip my throat out. I oughta try ta warn Dante what I'm seein', might tomorrow when we go out to the Heaven again after work."

Irritated at Reno's lack of concern for their furniture, Rude simply reached over and placed a coaster DOWN, with a sigh.

"You need to stay AWAY from the Sparda twins, Red. I mean, hanging out at the bar is one thing, but I don't think gettin' Dante alone and talking to him is a very smart move. You know--or maybe you DON'T--they--ahh--got a special --shall we say--sort of relationship. I really don't know for sure just how much you DO know, but let's just say, it's a LOT more than just a brother thing, Ren. If you GET my drift. And Dante's pretty laid back, but Vergil--no, you DON'T want him to think you are tryin' to get Dante alone. I'm tellin' you, it could get bad. And yeah, I have noticed the change in him. S'why I'm sayin', give them a WIDE berth as far as bein' alone with EITHER of them."

He really hoped Reno was going to listen to thim on this.

Vergil had gotten strange lately, in the last few months. He had been more open and friendly before, willing to sit with them and even have a drink, laughing with them and Dante, all of them together. The last time Rude had offered to buy Vergil a beer, the man had fixed him with an ice cold gaze, and answered that he didn't drink that shit anymore.

No thank you, just...yeah.

And Rude didn't WANT Reno to be on the business end of the fucking O Katana that Vergil now carried EVERYWHERE.

He cared about him too damned much for that.

"Rude, I'll be FINE, ok? You know Strife and Fair and the General hang out there too, and yeah, I knew they were skeevin' with each other, it really doesn't take much to see it." Reno chuckled, in an extraordinarily good mood considering how close to THAT time of the month it was. As a born fully functional hermaphrodite Rude had had to adjust to his many mood swings, and around the time of the monthly he was normally brittle and short tempered. Not so, at least for the time, though that could of course change at any moment.

He had at least gotten better about wrapping the pads firmly, after Rude had gotten BEYOND pissed off at him about it when they'd first moved in together. Reno was a self-proclaimed slob, and he had no shame at all about it, really. "But yeah, I know they're an item. . .but. . .Verg has gotten MEAN lately, REALLY mean. He used to be a decent guy to be around, but fuck, lately he makes people wanna slap him. . .hard." Another snort, and Reno lit up a cigarette, downing the rest of the beer in one gulp. He was too young to be drinking or smoking but being a Turk had its advantages.

He had no idea that in just a few short months he would no longer just be Rude's room mate, and that things would down the road buckle yet more. It was just one of those odd things that would happen with no one quite knowing why. He also did not know that the close friendships he'd come to so cherish would soon evaporate like mist on the wind when an order came down that would destroy their camaraderie forever.

"I KNOW he's gotten mean, that's why I'm saying, stay away from the guy. Look, Red, I overheard him at the bar the other night--he had backed some young punk into a corner and I sorta thought he was making a MOVE on him--but he wasn't. He had some pretty NASTY shit he was threatening this kid with, if he ever saw him talk to Dante AGAIN. He's losing it, and he's gonna have you in his line of fire if you get caught talking to his twin. I mean it, I got a bad feeling. Only the SOLDIERS go around with fucking swords ON them at all times, even on off times, and that's because they have to--and now Vergil is doin' that same shit. He has that sword--what the hell has he named it?--YAMATO--he has it ALL the time now. And he didn't used to. DANTE doesn't have his all the time, I think he packs his guns but you know what I'm gettin' at: Vergil has some kind of big man thing goin' on in his head--and I think he's getting DANGEROUS."

Rude went so far as to place a hand on Reno's arm.

"Leave those boys ALONE, Ren. We can live without them. Somethin' bad is gonna happen the way Vergil is going, and I don't want YOU in the middle of it."

"I ain't afraid of him, Rude. I ain't. I ain't never gonna be afraida the bastard. Dante needs to KNOW what he's getting into though, he just does." Of course Reno had no idea that he was going to EAT those words in just one night, when he came crawling to Rude because he wouldn't be ABLE to walk. His brave insistence on helping out a friend would cost him a lot of pain, more than he was used to dealing with. "'Sides, Dante's my friend, I protect my friends, ya know? He helped me out when I had no one lookin' out for my back, an' I owe it to him to do the same."

Yes, that want, that desire, pulsed hot and heavy through his veins every time he looked at the younger of the twins, but that had nothing to do with the wish to keep him from getting hurt. That came straight from Reno's concern for Dante as a friend. He CARED about the half-devil, the way he cared about Cloud and Zack, the way he did about Rude, and he'd do the same for any of them.

"I know you're worried, Rude, I know you are, but I'm gonna be ok. I'm just gonna let him know to watch his backside, nothing more. This whole thing stinks like a Junon summer, and really I don't know what else to do except give him the heads up."

Rude began to lose ALL his happy thoughts, and he struggled to stay patient. This boy was YOUNG, he didn't seem to GET it. And while he no doubt really was worried about Dante, and maybe with some pretty good reasons, Rude knew better than to believe that was the ONLY thing going on here.

"Look, never mind that shit, there's more to it, ain't there? You are hot for the guy, and I SEE it every time you two are together. Don't you think VERGIL sees it?! And besides, really Red, besides the obvious danger, don't you think this is probably a bad idea to imply to a man older than you--SIX years older-- that he NEEDS protecting? That he somehow is missing somethin' about his brother, his fucking lover? I know you been around, okay, but let me tell you, DANTE ain't gonna be nearly as TOUCHED as you seem to think. If anything, he'll likely be pissed you are implying something about Vergil. I fucking BET on that. This is a RELATIONSHIP, Reno, they are wonderful things, they are FRAGILE as a new snowfall and as fuckin' STRONG as iron, too. Might just be a one nighter that you want, to Vergil, he'll see you tryin' to take something DEAR to him away from him, tryin' to drive a wedge between them. I'll say it once more, BAD idea, really fucking BAD. Dante is a big boy, he doesn't NEED you to protect him--and he LIKELY ain't gonna be swooning over it--and fuck--"

Rude sat down, suddenly exhausted. "I don't know HOW far Vergil might go, if you make a mistake here. You are juggling DYNAMITE, Ren!"

"It ain't that Rude! It ain't! OK, let me put it to you THIS way. Say you were my friend, like Dante is mine. You saw me in situation where you KNEW the guy was no good, you just KNEW it, don't tell me you wouldn't wanna give me the heads up. I don't know if he doesn't GET it, or if he's just ignoring it, but a little word just ta keep an eye on his ass is NOT gonna hurt anything. " He shook his head. If Rude pushed his luck tonight Reno was just going to walk right out. He was beginning to slip into his normal pre-monthly piss poor mood, and that would not be helpful at all. "Listen, I KNOW you're lookin' out for me, ok? I understand that. I'm gonna be fine, though, trust me on that."

He knew Rude would likely recognize the mood change, and it signaled an utterly unreasonable mood. He was ALWAYS at the height of stubbornness during that time, and nothing anyone said would talk him out of what he'd decided to do once he'd chosen a course of action. It was his way, really, and everyone he knew knew it. "I promise I'll be fine, ok? I will be."

"Damn it , Reno, this isn't LIKE that! They are twins, and they are brothers, even if they weren't knocking boots! You don't GET to tell a man his BROTHER is no good, unless you want a fucking knuckle sandwich! And really, partner, how the hell can you just suddenly decide that Vergil is completely no good?! We've had the guy here as our FRIEND -- maybe he's goin' through something, YOU don't know, and I don't know. I thought they were BOTH our friends, and now I see you tryin' to get in between the two of them, because Vergil is actin' like a dick. And he IS--but-- this TROUBLES me. I didn't see you as a troublemaker, Ren."

Rude was losing his temper, and he took a breath.

"Look, used to be OUR friends, Vergil AND Dante, OUR friends, Reno. Now I hear this motherfucking "Dante is MY friend' shit. Talkin' DOWN about Vergil, like he's your fuckin' ENEMY. What the FUCK, partner? No Vergil at all now, no ME, either. Just you two, sailing off together, best buddies. If I feel this way, wonder how Vergil will feel?"

"Vergil is doin' shit he never used to do, and I think even YOU can see that." Yes, almost bullheadedly stubborn, and it was how he was. "He used to be a Hell of a lot more fucking friendly, and now I don't know WHAT'S up with him." Then, he realized the implication of what Rude had said, and his eyes narrowed. "Besides, since when do you OWN me, Rude? You never said a damn WORD about ANY of it, never said a damn word about a tie any deeper than the one we have. So before you get off gettin' pissed off, about something you took COMPLETELY out of context, by the way, ask yourself where the HELL you have a right bein' jealous of Dante when YOU never spoke the fuck up!"

That mouth turned down into an almost VICIOUS scowl, as he finally just shook his head and got up. "You know what? I'm goin' out for a bit before I get pissed off enough to say somethin' REALLY stupid outta bein' far too pissed off for my own good. So if you got somethin' ta say, you best say it now."

Rude blocked the doorway, with a very deliberate move, and stood there with arms crossed, a veritable human WALL.

"RENO. Don't INTERFERE. Look, I wasn't even gonna fucking SAY this, but they had a bad, bad fucking fight behind the bar a week ago. Vergil had that fucking SWORD to Dante's THROAT--and I watched, I was frigging WORRIED. Dante got him soothed, got him calmed down, and they were in each other's arms when it was over. It was all kisses and honey when I finally slipped back inside the door again. But it was bad. So, yes, they are having PROBLEMS. Very serious ones. And if you light a MATCH where there is an open flame--Red, just don't DO it! They are gonna blame YOU--or anybody--who gets in the MIDDLE of this! Let them work this OUT, they been together-together since FOURTEEN. They can HANDLE it."

He took a more gentle tone, and was almost pleading. "Ren, I got a BAD feeling. Please, just once, get over the crazy brave kidstuff and HEED me on this? PLEASE?"

Finally, a gentle nod, and Reno took a deep breath to calm himself down. Not that he intended to actually go along with it, of course. But he had this intense need for Rude to understand why he felt as he did. "I can't just stand by, Rude. . .I can't. The other kids stood by and WATCHED while Dad beat the Hell out of Mom, and out of me. I can't sit back and watch it. I just can't DO that." He shook his head. "I know you're going to say something about Dante being bigger and alla that jazz, but Vergil can STILL take him by surprise. There's no harm in warning him to watch his back, but if you want me to. . ."

He sighed and began to head up the stairs. "Long day tomorrow, 'bou. We should get some rest and get ready for it, I guess." He was in reality just not wanting to discuss the issue anymore if he could avoid doing so. He stepped into his own room, getting into his night things and climbing into the bed.

Rude finally allowed himself to BREATHE again, and watched Reno head for his room.

This wasn't OVER, and he knew that. Rude Urar was not a stupid man. But he did make himself believe that Reno was at least going to let this go for NOW--and hopefully, maybe the twins would get their SHIT together--and then Reno wouldn't have the DESIRE to fucking meddle at ALL.

He didn't know WHAT the hell was wrong with Vergil, but whatever it was, it was NOT anything he wanted Reno within a MILE of.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

It had, as Reno had predicted, been an extremely long and tiring day, and he looked over at the door as Cloud, Zack, and Sephiroth came in, Dante right behind them. "Oi, get me a Jack Daniels." he gestured to the bar in front of him as the bartender approached, smiling as the shot was dropped in front of him, downing it one gulp before he waved at his three friends, then walked over to Dante. "Yo, Dante, can we talk a second?"

He pulled Dante aside, for just a minute, looking around a bit nervously, but he wanted to make sure this got done. "Just. . as a friend, 'Te, nothing more. I wanna say somethin' weird's been goin' on with your brother, and a lotta us have noticed it. Like I said, I speak solely as a friend tryin' ta watch out for another friend, but I really think you oughta watch your back with Vergil."

He headed back toward the restrooms after, the first shot of Jack having hit, the processing of it having been accelerated by his own nervousness. He had little idea of what would await him when he came out.

Vergil struck like a cobra, the immensely powerful arm lashing out and catching the young man by the throat, and dragging him out the back door to the alley, all the while seeing that Dante was not in the immediate vicinity. He'd heard enough, not all, but the last part about Dante watching his back around Vergil.

And he was very, very, very angry.

Taking off one of his black leather gloves, he thrust it into the redhead's mouth, eyes flashing fire in sheer rage.

"YOU...just made a very serious mistake, little man. You should never have done that, should never have said that to my brother. Do you know how long we have been together, Reno? Do you know how long Dante and I have been sharing a bed, hmm? EIGHT YEARS. We took one another's virginity, and we have been lovers ever since, do you understand me? And you do NOT ever attempt to turn my lover against me, you do not put the MAKE on him, you do not EVER want to do that, unless you find you no longer like living. EIGHT years. Let me think how I may make this more clear to you--"

Seizing first one finger, and then the next, he proceeded to BREAK each of the slender fingers, eight of them, not even noticing the muffled cries of agony.

"EIGHT. REMEMBER that."

And then at the end, Vergil took hold of the redhead's arm, and YANKED it out of the socket, at the same time removing the glove, WANTING him to scream now. And scream he DID, and this time Vergil DID smile.

"Try to remember to stay away from Dante, Reno. He is MINE--and you are not worthy to clean the vomit from our toilet after he has a drunken BINGE. Try to keep that in mind, alright?"

He wanted to get back IN there. To hunt for his own.

Despite the amount of pain he was in at that point, those jewel colored eyes met Vergil's firmly, very little fear in them at all, the crazy brave courage of adolescence stirring him on, though he knew he SHOULDN'T allow it to happen, he hadn't gained the moderation he would in later years. "Eight years that could have been better spent alone, in my honest opinion." He was panting hard, knowing that a hospital trip would be necessary to set the broken bones and the dislocated arm, but he figured if he was going to get injured by the bastard it might as well be for an offense that was honestly DESERVING of it.

He kept that gaze sharply on Vergil, refusing to show fear, refusing to be brought down, because it was not his way to simply give in and fall without even trying to fight back. He may not have been able to use his arms, but his legs were most certainly still useable, and he kicked Vergil in the shins as hard as he could, hoping it would allow him to get by the man and get back inside to get help.

Dante had merely nodded at Reno's warning, the words stirring his mind once again as he let them sink in. So...someone else had noticed it as well? So it WASN'T just him, the thought of which scared him a bit, because now he NEEDED to talk to Vergil about this, to see if there WAS something going on, or if they were ALL imagining things. "Don't worry, Red, I'll watch my back, okay? Not like Vergil could do MUCH to me, he wouldn't, because I'm his brother, and a little more."

He watched Reno as the redhead walked off to the bathroom, shaking his head. Great, now he had even MORE to think about, and trying to figure out just HOW to bring this up with Vergil... he was going to have a headache by the time he was done. He wasn't paying attention as he walked back to the bar, which nearly cost him, since Zack had the bad habit of trying to tackle him every time he saw the half-demon.

After a brief scuffle, Zack was perched on Dante's chest, laughing his ass off as Seph, Cloud, Rude and Tifa all rolled their eyes. "FINALLY got you. Jeeze, took me what, like, two years to finally take you down?"

"Seph... boys will be boys, that's all you can say right now." Tifa went back to washing glasses out as the General took a seat at the bar across from her, watching both Cloud and Zack closely. He'd felt the oddest surge of overprotectiveness in the past few days, something that unnerved him greatly, though he tried to simply push it to the back of his mind.

"Ughhhh, get OFF me, you idiot." Dante groaned, "You weigh a fuckin' TON. Geeze, Seph, put this cow on a DIET, would you?" He thought he heard a noise from outside the backdoor as he laid on the floor, his hearing picking up on the sounds of SOMETHING out there, catching his attention. He looked up and saw Sephiroth narrowing his eyes, having heard it as well. "Back door, Sephiroth... I heard it too."

The silver-haired General reached down and yanked Zack off of Dante as he walked towards the back door, ignoring the Gongagan's protests and whines about NOT being fat and NOT needing a diet. The scent of blood hit his nostrils, making him blink, then fling the door open as he saw something that he KNEW would anger the others, himself as well, but he could keep himself contained easily so that he didn't MAIM anyone.

"I do believe that the redhead you just made into a shish-ka-bob is your brother's best friend, so if you do not wish to get your ass handed to you on a silver platter by your soon to be VERY pissed off twin, then I would suggest making a run for it." Sephiroth was oh so very tempted to take out Masamune and return the favor, knowing Reno didn't HAVE a blade, and one glance at his arm and hands told him that he couldn't have wielded it right then anyway. "Or, if you rather, you can stand there, let your brother get his anger and shock out of his system, and likely come out of it missing a head, though it most likely would be the one you think with more often than not, and not the one that is the smart one."

"I am not 'running for it', General Sephiroth. And he provoked me, insulted Sparda honor. That is a very grave thing to me, these days. Your clever tongue might be better suited to admonishing your inferiors-- this is hardly a laughing matter. "

He kept Yamato out, cleaning it with the cloth he kept for just such a purpose--unknown to Dante, there were frequent episodes like this now, run ins with strangers that had 'insulted' him that ended always with just THAT--a run in -- only with Yamato's pitiless length. Wiping the blood off carefully, almost lovingly, he held it down at his side, ready in a moment's notice to bring it back up again--and that included against Dante, if his brother got too willful. He was not going to kill Dante, that coldness and effort of Will would come later --but he was not above seriously harming him.

He had learned something that his brother did NOT know:

A demon--even a HALF demon--could be wounded and RECOVER within moments, and it would take repeated mortal strikes to bring either of them even close to sinking down at all.

This was HIS secret, and as long as Dante was ignorant of it, so much the better.

"Dante, you do not know the whole story, so please, put those pretty blue eyes back in their sockets. I will explain at home."

Rude had come here to talk to Vergil and Dante himself, since he could never seem to get them to answer their damned phone. So when Tifa shouted to him that something was happening out back with Reno, he RACED for the door, and brushed past the onlookers, including Dante, and then to Reno's side.

"RED, what the fuck--what HAPPENED?!" Vergil was standing over him still, Yamato in hand--but Rude could not think such a thing, and indeed he did not. "Vergil, what happened--did you see who DID this--Dante--Vergil--what happened here, who hurt him?!"

Vergil looked down at Rude coldly. "He insulted me, Rude. He had a lesson coming."

Rude could only GAPE.

Reno gave two soft coughs as he looked up at Rude, a tiny bit of blood at the corner of his mouth, more of it pooling around him, and because of his broken fingers and dislocated arm he couldn't staunch the flow of the crimson river that came from the deep puncture wound in his left hand side, one that had come scant millimeters from puncturing his heart. "All I did was clue Dante in to what we saw, that was it. ..I got my fingers broken for just that, unjustified." he was wheezing as he said that, eyes beginning to flutter but he was remaining conscious through sheer strength of will. "I did say something to provoke him yeah, but it was AFTER he hurt me. ..not before."

He dimly heard someone on the phone through fading hearing, and soon enough sirens could be heard in the distance, though he wasn't sure what would happen if they caught Vergil now. He'd been able to convince Dante now pretty adequately he was sure that Vergil was NOT his normal self, and that he needed to keep an eye on his ass. That made the pain he was experiencing now WORTH it, though he suspected Tseng would be on his ass big time about getting hurt like he had.

Soon enough Cissnei, the lithe blond Shurikan wielding Turk, and Arlene, little Elena's older sister who was also a Turk, had come toward the Heaven for their normal post-work drink, coming through the back door as they often did, and the LOOK Cissnei shot Vergil was pure VENOM. If Arlene had not grabbed her arm to pull her inside she quite likely would have attacked the half devil. "Bastard hurt one of our own, Arlene, and you're just going to let him get AWAY with that?" The question was one of sheer shock.

"Cissnei, now is NOT the time for it, no matter what you think. It's time to get Reno-senpai HELP now, then if you want to go after the bastard, you can do so, just. . .not now."

Sephiroth GLARED at Vergil, his lip curling. "Honor my ass, Vergil. Reno likely just angered you for reasons unknown, likely because you are TOO quick to temper, and you decided to physically berate him." He could see Zack HOLDING Dante back, the other half demon looking absolutely LIVID. "I suggest you drop that weapon, and NOW, or else you may not like the consequences."

Dante was struggling wildly, one, trying to get TO Reno, and two, to get to VERGIL. "WHAT THE FUCK? VERGIL, are you STUPID!? He didn't DO anything LIKE that, goddamnit! You're fucking PARANOID and over-fucking-exaggerating! If he had wanted to insult honor, he sure as FUCK could NOW." He GROWLED, fangs bared as he tried to get away from Zack.

"Sorry, 'te, you're not goin' NO WHERE." Zack rolled his eyes, marveling at the strength of the man. "Shit, Cloud. help me...he's fuckin' STRONG." He almost lost his grip on him as Seph unsheathed Masamune and held the blade out. "Fuck, REALLY, Cloud, Help me OUT."

"Watch your mouth, old man. Perhaps you ought to sheathe your blade, or I will be forced to repeat the lesson. Did I say forced? I mean given the chance to cut you down to size. You do not GIVE me orders, Sephiroth. I am not in your motley ragtag of misfits."

At 22, Vergil was wildly over confident, and Sephiroth was several years older and far more skilled--yet, the young half demon was no weakling, and his own prowess with a katana was superb, to put it mildly. Sephiroth might see him as an upstart whelp, but he would be gravely mistaken.

"Come on then, you think you can put me down on the ground? Let's see what you got. I am not impressed by your overcompensating sword!"

He lashed Yamato viciously at the air, the great blade slicing with the sound of ice falling. Beckoning at Sephiroth, Vergil heard Dante's shouts, but he scented blood, and he wanted to spill MORE--was there ever enough? And Sephiroth was--after all, only a HUMAN--although there was something about him--something he couldn't be certain of.

But never mind.

"Come on, I don't have all night!"

Cloud struggled to help Zack with Dante, but he was SHOCKED at the young man's brute strength. He was, in fact, slipping loose, even with BOTH of the muscular SOLDIERs STRAINING to keep him in check--

"Dante, stoppit, damn it--just let them settle it, Sephiroth isn't gonna KILL him, he'll just teach him a fucking LESSON--and --don't you think he NEEDS one?!"

FINALLY help arrived, and Reno was loaded up into the ambulance. His eyes pinned Vergil's one last time, narrowed in a cold rage before they shut the door to take him away from the scene. He felt it was worth every bit of pain he'd suffered at Vergil's hands, merely to know he'd not given IN, to know he'd not let Vergil intimidate him, as much as the half-devil would like to believe he had done so. It took a LOT to get Reno to back down, and even what Vergil had done had not been enough.

Of course he had no idea what the future would bring, or how this one confrontation would lead to something catastrophic in just a very few months, and how that catastrophe would affect the rest of his life. For now it was enough that that iron will had held firm.

"This motley ragtag of mistfits just so happen to be the elite of the elite." Sephiroth nearly purred at the prospect of a fight with Vergil, knowing the young man was highly skilled in the mastery of blades, but he forgot, or perhaps, didn't KNOW, that Sephiroth was not only a twice mastered swordsman, but not quite human, though not devil either. He was something different altogether, and that would likely be his downfall in the end.

The cupid's bow lips were drawn up into a wide grin as he circled Vergil, eyeing him carefully, sizing him up. "And I can assure you, my sword is not compensation for lack of anything, Boy, you can ask Cloud or Zachary, they would be able to tell you that your assumption of such a thing is incorrect."

Zack flinched visibly when he heard the first clash of steel, looking over at Cloud. "I don't wanna sound like I doubt Seph, but Vergil looks fit to kill... maybe we SHOULD let go of Dante...He could be helpful, I think."

"Gonna BEAT him, black and fuckin' BLUE..." Dante growled. He was nearly irate, ready to tear into his brother for hurting someone that was his FRIEND. "No REASON, No fuckin' good REASON for him to have DONE that. It was STUPID, fuckin' idiotic!"

Vergil clashed hard with Sephiroth, and the steel SANG out as it crashed together.

He was shocked at the strength in the tall General's arm, but he was not about to relent, there was no fucking WAY he was going to back down at this point. The time to gracefully walk away with some dignity was over, long gone, and now all there was to do was to see the battle through.

He landed several vicious strikes, but he could feel his own sense of panic rising, even as he fought it down. The man wasn't AFFECTED as he should be, he never cried out when slashed, he never made a SOUND in the battle--while Vergil yowled every time the Masamune bit into him. And why did he feel like the General was simply playing him, simply toying with him?

He suddenly wished he had taken the chance and walked away.

When Sephiroth impaled him through the belly, Vergil choked out a gasp of pain, and sank to his knees, the wickedly long sword sliced all the way through. He could dimly hear Dante YELLING--god, did he ever shut his fucking MOUTH?!--and he struggled back up again, as the towering silverhaired legend yanked the sword out. Blood was pooling at his feet, but the wound was closing fast.

He smiled slightly--good, good, it was just as he had read of--and it was the TRUTH.

"You see, fool? You cannot KILL me."

"Who says I wish to kill you?" Sephiroth allowed Vergil's blade to bite into him again, eliciting a silent gasp, sending a delightful chill running down his spine. "I merely wish to convey a lesson to you, never mentioned anything about killing or otherwise maiming you. Injury WAS a given, of course, unless you truly thought yourself that much better than me."

He drew Masamune back and thrust through Vergil once more, PINNING him to the wall behind him. "Though, I could arrange for my lovers to release your brother right now. He looks fit to harm, more so than usual, and I daresay, you WOULD deserve it." He pulled the great blade free once again and lashed out one more time, nearly disemboweling the younger man before he nodded at Zack and Cloud.

"I believe it is time we take our leave."

Zack let go of Dante, not MEANING to, but because he was SHOCKED at Sephiroth's indifference to the damage he'd done to Vergil. "Seph...babe, I know he beat the shit out of Red and all...but THAT was a little much, don'tcha think?" All he got in response was a shoulder shrug and an indifferent grunt from the General as he walked towards the street. He looked over at Dante, who was now kneeling in the veritable LAKE of blood surrounding the older twin, then at Cloud, eyes wide.

"VERG...fuck..." Dante didn't care about the blood coating his legs from his position on the ground next to his twin, all he cared about was checking on Vergil and making sure that he wasn't about to DIE. "...What the Hell is going ON? First you beat the Hell out of Reno, then Seph goes fucking kookoo for cocopuffs on you. Shit...let's get you HOME, we'll talk about this LATER."

Vergil opened his eyes at the sound of Dante's voice, and tried to speak, but only managed to exude a small stream of blood from the still healing internal injuries. The pain was far beyond anything he had ever conjured, and he was stunned, absolutely thunderstruck at how Sephiroth had not only matched him, but hurt him so gravely, and so utterly laid him OUT.

As Dante lifted him in his arms, he gasped in the sheer overload of pain, feeling his hair falling around his face in total disarry now, the sweat of his exertion matting it down from his favored style. The blood loss was severe, and his face was now a deathly pale, lips turning a light bluish pink.

He would, of course survive, and recover, but it would take a few days for him to be back to normal. Vergil's recovery abilities had not yet fully developed, and this 'lesson' was only going to serve to push his hatred to the farthest level possible.

"Take me home, Dante..."


	3. Chapter 3

What the HELL.

Cloud was as shocked by all this as Zack was, but he was too intimidated to even CONSIDER speaking of it to Sephiroth--but as they headed away, he took the raven haired PFC aside and murmured to him in very careful tones, NOT wanting to be overheard.

"ZACK, what the hell is going ON with everybody?! Vergil AND Seph almost just killed each other, Vergil hurt Reno BAD, and I don't know what the hell to make of ANY of it--and SEPHIROTH acts like nothing even HAPPENED! Zack, he left Vergil in a POOL of blood--and--we are supposed to all be friends--Reno's in the HOSPITAL and Zack please tell me what's happening to us all?!"

He was freaking out, just a LITTLE.

"I dunno, Spike. I have no fuckin' idea." Zack was ASTOUNDED by the coldness displayed by their mutual lover just then, a coldness he hadn't seen except for in battle, and that hadn't BEEN a battle. "That was just...insane.."

Sephiroth could hear the two murmuring softly, his eyes going to mere slits as he paused, turning his head back for just a moment. "I SAID, we should be going. Gossiping like little schoolgirls is not GOING, is not getting HOME." His jaw was tight as he caught sight of the fear in his lovers eyes. "Now, come along, we shouldn't tarry long in the streets."

Dante stood up, cradling Vergil to his chest as he walked over to his bike, carefully situating he and Vergil ON it. "I'm gonna get you home, gonna help you as best I can, okay? God, I love you, but sometimes you can just be a stubborn ass." He was worried, worried to DEATH that Vergil might die, and only because he didn't KNOW about their accelerated healing.

Rude paced, the sound of his heartbeat thudding in his ears, the fear and sick dread coming up in nauseating waves of misery.

It still really felt more like a very, VERY bad dream than any sort of even twisted reality. He could not believe what Vergil had done, gods, he had believed the young swordsman had DEFENDED Reno from some mysterious attacker, and when it had come out that VERGIL had been the assailant, Rude had felt the world SWAY before him.

He had broken Reno's fingers, STABBED him, and all for WHAT?! Rude knew Reno, and he knew he did not deserve this--but he also knew of course he had literally pleaded with him to NOT do what he had done. He had SEEN that a bad result would come, though he hadn't REALLY believed Vergil was capable of this DEGREE of psychosis.

FINALLY Reno was settled into his room, having come out of the surgery surprisingly well, but then again he was young, and that helped the situation immensely. It wasn't long before his eyes fluttered open, and though the materia-healed fingers were still quite swollen, at least they'd not had to cast them, as the breaks had been clean. The arm that had been pulled out the socket was in a sling for the time being until the damaged ligaments healed all the way, and it annoyed him to no end because it made it difficult for him to move at ALL. "Fucker didn't need to DO that to prove his point. It's not as if what I told Dante was even all that INSULTING, for Shiva's sake." He tried to push himself into a sitting position, only to gasp in pain when it pulled at the stitches just under the ribs on his left hand side that had sealed the gaping wound closed.

Reno DESPISED not being active, hated it with a passion that very few could understand or match. Rude had seen it, of course, seen how jittery he got during those times when he couldn't be out and about as he'd like. It was not at all pretty, not in the least, and the fact that the monthly had come and he couldn't even put a pad on made him even crankier. "Hate this shit, hope someone just fucking OFFS that bastard.. . fucking hate him."

"He's a sick young man, Reno. I don't even know what to say, he's--he's SICK in the head. I'm gonna talk to Rufus, see about having him committed for involuntary observation in the morning. I found out that he's stabbed three people in the past two weeks, and they are all so afraid of him they will NOT press charges. Apparently he put the fear in them, and they just REFUSE. But this is too much. He has to be stopped-- and if Dante gets pissed I can't help it."

The guy was a danger, a REAL one--and Rude was going to see to it he GOT the help he so clearly needed before someone DIED.

"I can't blame you for the way you FEEL, Red, but I DID ask you practically on fucking bended KNEE to leave them both alone. I'm gonna ask you AGAIN--at least until we get Vergil some help--stay away from them, please? Just humor me, will you?"

"One issue with that Rude. . the old man LIKES the white haired bastard." Reno grunted as they brought his food in, then growled in frustration when he couldn't feed himself due to the fact that both hands were useless, resisting the urge to just DIG his face into the tray to get it in him. It was SUPREMELY irritating to be dealing with this. "I was right though, wasn't I? I told you. ..I fucking TOLD you something was up with him, and I was right."

He just gave another headshake, and sighed. "And yeah, so were you, but at least Dante has some idea of what he's dealing with, and that's a GOOD thing, really, at least in my opinion it is. Vergil's just BAD news all around, he just is, and maybe now Dante will REALIZE that, so he knows what he's dealing with. I don't WANT him to get hurt, and I don't think you really do, either."

"Yeah, I know--but you got to remember, and I feel like I'm preachin' this to a brick wall sometimes, really-- but no matter how BAD a guy Vergil may turn into, or already IS now, no matter how fucking sick in the head he is--Dante LOVES him, he is his lover AND his brother AND his twin, and that's a LOTTA toes to be steppin' on there, Red. You warned him, Dante was okay and Vergil went NUTS. Now LEAVE it, okay? Leave 'em BE."

He PRAYED Reno would let up now, he'd done his duty to Dante as he saw it as a friend, and yeah, the guy's brother was motherfucking NUTS--but apparently--so was SEPHIROTH, who had gone JUST as nuts.

"There's some CRAZY shit goin' on all around us, Red. We gotta MELLOW it all out, or someone will die!"

Three days had passed, and though he was very sore, Reno had healed well enough to be allowed to go home, even if he could not return to work as yet. His lips were drawn into a thin line of determination as he walked himself out of his room and toward the door. He HATED hospitals, with a passion. He did give Rude just the slightest bit of a smile as he did, though. "Thanks for bein' a friend, yo. . .REALLY thanks. I owe ya." He really did realize he owed the man a lot.

Reno of course had no idea how bad it was about to get, he couldn't have really, not yet. When he DISCOVERED how bad. . .well, when he discovered how bad it would be extremely messy, and that was something he was not yet prepared for. It would be the start of an enmity that would later nearly destroy his entire life. Of course for now he was young and foolish and didn't UNDERSTAND that. The understanding would come in later years when he was older and wiser than the teenager he now was.

"Let's just get home, ne, Rude? The sooner I can get myself back into shape so I can go back to work, the better

Rude smiled at Reno fondly, and again asked, as they got ready to head out, that question that was nagging the shit out of him--even though he knew Reno didn't want to hear it, he wanted a fucking ANSWER.

"Okay, gonna ask AGAIN, 'cuase the other day you really didn't give me an answer, Red. Will you stay away from those dangerous boys? At LEAST until they get it together? Lover's quarrels--and this is a BROTHER quarrel TOO--are best stayed out of altogether--I won't say I told you so, even though I DID--but Vergil I think really made the point better than I ever could. Something is goin' ON with him, and he--he needs HELP, really. I'm afraid he ain't gonna get it, and next time, there WILL be deaths. And I don't want you to BE one of them. Stay away from them, please, for me, as a friend who cares about you?"

Vergil was now officially a MENACE in his mind, and the boy needed to be SEEN to.

He was going to do what he had just warned Reno NOT to do, and suggest over the phone to Dante that he get his brother seen by someone before he hurt someone ELSE--or was simply killed himself. He knew Dante did not want to see that happen, and Rude sure as shit did not want someone in that frame of mind running around OFF meds.

Reno had at least partly agreed to Rude's wishes that he stay out of this mess, but he suspected that that wouldn't last long. Something was going ON with Vergil, something that made him extremely uncomfortable. They might not exactly have been FRIENDS, but Vergil had at least been CORDIAL up to now. This was something that was maybe not exactly out of the realm of possibility, but it was at least out of the ORDINARY. The older male had gone totally ape shit though, and that was something Vergil for the feeling of danger he'd always had had not ever done before.

For now Reno was supremely glad of his own enhanced healing abilities that had allowed the casts to come off the broken fingers so he could at least feed himself now. He sighed in contentment as he took a bite off his pizza and sat back. His arm was still in the sling due to the large number of muscles and ligaments that had been torn when Vergil had pulled it out of the socket, but those too would heal soon enough. For right now, he was simply worried about what was going to happen now.

"I give it two weeks before Vergil does something utterly dumbassed that has Dante telling him at least temporarily where he can go, and I guarantee the suggestion ain't gonna be very pleasant at all."

Rude wasn't sure if this meant Reno WAS or wasn't going to leave them the fuck alone, and it was making him nervous. Reno had sort of half assed kinda maybe?? agreed to it, and Rude didn't feel real SURE of it at all. And if he didn't, if he continued to fucking mess around with dynamite, it might well blow up in all their faces again.

"Look, you ain't giving me back a lotta happy thoughts on this, partner, and if I've learned anything, it's that you'll do what you want. I Guess you got that right. But I'm preaching for the last time, leave those fucking twins alone, ALONE. Get a fucking HOBBY, Ren. We'll go fishing or some shit, okay?!"

He couldn't even put into WORDS how bad an idea it felt like to FUCK with them, even Dante was edgy and BAD tempered as hell when he felt like it now. But Rude was going to call him anyway, and he walked outside to make that call, NOT wanting to be overheard.

"Dante--it's Rude--listen, don't take this the WRONG way--but--I think maybe Vergil needs --uhhhmm--to be --to be seen --by someone for his--uhhhh problem, his ANGER problem, let's call it that. I didn't tell Reno but I found out there are five cases pending of stabbings near their area, and they were BAD wounds, all in alleys, all unsolved, all where the victims WON'T talk. I think--he MIGHT be --doing some bad shit--but-- I don't mean this ACCUSINGLY, it's just--fuck, he's gonna get KILLED, Dante, or kill someone else, he ALMOST killed Reno! Got to DO something, man, okay?!"

"I ain't messin' with Vergil again, ok? I just ain't, even I know when it's healthier to leave someone th'fuck alone. M'just worried about Dante, an' he's m'friend, so I got a right ta be. M'not gonna get into th'middle of it anymore unless Dante ASKS for help, though. I said I wouldn't, and I won't." Reno just shook his head as he sat down, wincing just the tiniest bit as he sat down, body still very sore where the injury had been, so he was trying to be a bit gentle.

As Rude went outside to make his phone call, Reno began to chew apart not only the mess with Dante and Vergil, but Sephiroth's odd behavior as well. It disturbed him to a great extent simply because the General was normally so even tempered. SOMETHING had gotten into him, something that Reno didn't understand just yet. He would soon enough, though, and when he figured it out it would be disastrous for everyone involved.

Now returned home in far less than anything approaching any sort of victory, Vergil felt the creak and give of the bed under him as Dante laid him down, his twin looking shaken and stunned, his face pale with the trauma. He was already healing, the wounds were CLOSED, though the blood loss had been severe--he did not want Dante to SEE that he had already healed, and there had to be a way to keep him from it--but HOW?

He was going to want to bandage it, after cleaning it, and while they had gone through all of this before, of course--their bloodsports had never gotten THIS intense.

They had neither one ever been wounded this gravely.

Not even CLOSE.

And while he was not entirely certain just why he did not want Dante to know just HOW great their healing abilities were, he did know it mattered a very great deal.

"Dante--I think--I think it's going to be alright, really, you don't need to clean it, just bandage it--or maybe I can even do it myself--" Damn it, he KNEW Dante was going to go into fucking DOTING mode and INSIST here on seeing how bad it was.

"I think it's trying to HEAL, Dante. It wasn't really as BAD as it looked--"

Dante scowled, tugging at the shredded clothing, "Vergil let me LOOK at it. This is BAD, I mean, you bled all OVER me when I was carrying you back, you can't be HEALING already." He was annoyed that Vergil was being SO adamant about him wanting to check him, to look him over and make sure he even COULD stitch him up.

"Come ON, Vergil, seriously. It could get infected, or WORSE, and you could get sick, and have to go to the hospital, and I KNOW how much you hate that place, you tell me often enough." He grabbed the scissors, holding them up, "Either you LET me look you over, or I start cutting clothes and get to it MYSELF."

SHIT.

"Alright, let me do it then--" He was still incredibly sore, the inner bruising of the soft tissues taking far longer to entirely heal up--and he would be in some real PAIN for a while. But the actual ruptures and bleeding out had ceased, so how was he going to explain this to Dante without giving away just how severe the damage really WAS he could take?

They had engaged in loveplay with blades, bloodplay as Vergil liked to call it.

Daggers drawn down the belly and chest and ever over straining cocks, blood welling and then fast receding. Hadn't Dante NOTICED this, in all this time? He must have, he had to understand that there was some extraordinary healing ability going on here. Vergil was appalled to find that he simply could not recall if they had ever even discussed it, and this was on top of all the other things his memory was lagging badly on.

DAMN it, he really should know this.

"Dante, I--it's not so bad now--" He stripped naked, slowly, in clear misery as he flexed hurting muscles and still-mending body parts--hoping even in his weakened and shaky condition to possibly allure his brother on to BYPASS all this, though it was really not too likely.

_I was run THROUGH, twice. Hardly a love slash as we have done to one another. Cannot let him know, it would cripple what I have planned--_

Dante nodded when Vergil said that he would take care of it, though he didn't look too enthused about letting Vergil tend to himself.

He HAD noticed the quick healing during their blade and bloodplay, but he had always thought that even WITH the demon blood, they could only heal such small wounds fast, that others would be much harder to heal, taking at least a day or two--something far longer than the truth, but far shorter than he knew of for humans.

"Sorry for fawning over you like that, but God... that blade went right THROUGH you..." He was still pissed off about the Reno part of the incident, but he was overlooking it at the moment. "I was just WORRIED, okay? Can't your brother be worried for you?"

"Of COURSE you can worry about me, you idiot." He got up and pulled Dante close to him, bringing their lips together for a deep kiss, lingering over it, taking time, tongues entwining.

"I just didn't want you to be so upset. I'm alright, I give you my word, alright? I'm not secretly bleeding out or anything, I'm okay."

_This could be the last time..._

_May be the last time, I don't know..._

"I love you. That's forever, 'Te."

And then Vergil pulled away, the coldness coming to cast its pall over his elegant face, the chill coming back into his voice once more. Had to be frigid, had to be iron and had to be ice as well. Numb and dead inside, so that--the ends could really justify the means.

_This is all for you, lover. In the very end, you will see. I'll share my power with you, but first I must break your heart and destroy you to obtain that power._


	4. Chapter 4

It was three months before Rude acted on his suspicions, and when he did, it would lead to something almost disastrous for everyone involved.

"Rude, come ON, this is NUTS, you confronting the son of a bitch is nuts, you know it, I know, so why the HELL would you even IMAGINE this was a good idea?" Reno had no response to that as Rude just slid the big Enforcer into the holster and walked out.

Vergil watched as Rude approached, and he walked out in front to meet him on the front entry.

He had successfully, or so he believed, driven Dante off with his viciousness for the time being, and had been in the middle of a very complex blood ritual, but had SENSED the approach of the human. Vergil's eyes were dead in hate and scorn as he watched the man walk up, yet luridly burning with infernal rage at the same time.

"Go home, Rude Urar, this place has nothing for you."

He brought down Yamato, and slashed it close to Rude's head, but the big man did not even flinch. "There are many brave men in their graves, Rude, this is above your league, and I will not bother to warn you again."

"You are killing Dante, is that what you want? Even a half demon must have some limits, do you KNOW how much he is drinking, do you fucking realize what you are DOING to him, Vergil? Do you feel no LOVE for him anymore? You're fucking breaking his heart, and you know it!"

"My brother's alcoholism is none of your concern, and I warned you for the last time."

As Rude watched, the young man he believed he knew, at least had ONCE known, began to transform, becoming a strange and terrifying creature, Yamato now held in the clawed hand of a demon. The soft rattling hiss of Vergil's breath was the only sound, until Rude spoke, trying once more.

"He's hurting, Vergil. I'll ask you again, do you not love him anymore? You're DESTROYING what you have together, don't you see wh--"

Vergil had attacked him in a faster-then-the-eye-could-follow attack, and Rude stared in horror at his belly, now fully opened up, blood pouring onto the concrete he stood on. Raising Yamato again, the half demon readied for the finishing strike, but he could sense--someone--Dante--DAMN him--and someone else--

A ROAR came from the entry way, a third level Cure cast quickly on his partner as Reno walked right up to Vergil, breathing hard, FURY shining in those green eyes as his body was fully surrounded by the aura of his limit. He'd KNOWN that he would likely need the newly purchased Restore materia when he'd followed Rude from the apartment, and he was now thanking every guardian he could summon that he'd carried it. He picked up Alastor, the electricity flickering all around him so bright as to light up the entire room. "You fucking son of a bitch! I'm going to fucking KILL you where you stand, flashy tricks or not!"

He swung once, the blade flashing out to cut Vergil deeply, biting through the armor, the impact shaking his arms, and Reno reveled in the spray that drenched him, only to gasp when the wound healed almost immediately. "You son of a bitch. . .I'm gonna keep cuttin' ya until you fuckin' DIE! You EVER touch my partner again, EVER. . .and I will fucking make sure you HURT."

The lip was drawn from the teeth in a fierce snarl, his face brilliant red in rage. "Bastard. .. fucking-" and he was cut off when he was flung back hard enough to hit the wall hard.

After being gone for nearly three days, having crashed (almost literally) at the Seventh Heaven for most of that time, Dante came stumbling into his office, light stubble across his chin and even his upper lip, the smell of various alcohols and possibly a cheap hooker (or Lucia) or two coming from his gaunt frame. At first, he barely heard the raised voices, and in his nearly drunkblind stupor, he failed to see Rude laying on the floor before he tripped over him, the sharp crack of his face hitting the floor waking him up just a little more than a cold shower would have done. "Th' Hell?"

THAT was when he could hear the sounds of angry yelling and smelt the blood that had been spilled. "'gain I say...th' HELL'S goin' on 'n hur?" He slurred, head tilting as he sat up, spotting Reno slumped against the far wall, looking like he was in some intense pain... something in his mind finally SNAPPING once he looked at Vergil and saw him looking almost GLEEFUL at being able to have a chance at killing the two.

"Jusht can't shtop, can ya?" He SNEERED at Vergil, standing up...swaying in his inebriation as he bowed up to his brother. "Not 'nough ta hurt ME, butcha gotta hurt ALLA mah friends? Yer'a FUCKER, ya know that, right? Gotta push 'way th' only person who's ever meant anythin' ta ya, an' act likea complete ashhole ta e'vryone ya e'vr known... ish shtoopid, YER shtoopid." He grabbed up Alastor from where it had fallen, brandishing it. "C'mon...might as well finish off whatcha started."

"Drunken IDIOT." Vergil slashed out, Yamato clashing with Alastor, fully expecting it to be knocked from Dante's hand--but it was not. Slipping out of his Devil Trigger, Vergil looked at Dante sadly, almost, having momentarily been distracted from the double murder he had been about to commit.

"I'm not fighting you in this condition, moronic brother. I am just not going to do it. So are you going to kill me where I stand?"

He actually went so far as to sheathe Yamato, and stood facing Dante fearlessly.

He was putting a good deal of stock in Dante's own sense of honor, but he was reasonably assured of it--and one fast glance told him that Dante had Ebony and Ivory shoved, hoodlum style, in the waistband of his jeans. Figured, of course. The more thuggish the better, it seemed.

"So uncouth, Dante. Have you no class at all, besides low? Really, GUNS in the waistband, do you even realize how lowbrow that IS? Anyway, I am not fighting you now. And I ask you for the very last time, having asked you so many times when you were actually SOBER: will you SHARE the power with me, that I am seeking on our behalf? Will you GAIN power with me, walk this path by my side?"

Reno was panting hard, in severe pain, his legs tingling from the shock to his spine from when he'd hit the wall, but he very bravely crawled his way over to Rude, draping his body over his partner's protectively. His lip was caught between his teeth as he picked up his PHS, calling over to Zack and Cloud's, hoping to reach them. "I need you guys to get over here, Vergil went NUTS, damn near gutted Rude, flung me into th'wall. . .Gods, fuckin' hurts. Can't walk. He and Dante are arguin' right now, s'perfect chance ta get out, but Rude's unconscious, an' no way can I drag him outta here when I can't get to m'feet."

He hitched in a breath as pain shot through his slender frame at the movement, clearly audible over the phone to whoever had answered, a whimper of torment following as he collapsed overtop Rude, unable to hold himself up anymore. "Please. . .please hurry. I don't wanna die."

Dante wasn't STOPPING, and Vergil frowned in annoyance--he didn't have TIME for this shit, he still had the half finished ceremony in one of the back rooms, and damn it, he NEEDED to complete it. Reluctantly, he took back out Yamato again, though with no serious intent to harm his brother--but Dante suddenly made a drunken lunge, and Vergil felt the burn of a side-wound, nothing too deep, and he knew Dante had pulled the strike.

It was a warning, perhaps.

"Dante, you idiot, I told you--very well, as you wish!" He lashed out at Dante and caught him in the sword arm, but the powerful half demon didn't even flinch. "You're impossible." Several more minutes of this, half hearted and drunken sparring, neither of them landing anything serious--until suddenly Dante DID connect, connected DEEP, and Vergil yowled in pain, his chest opened up--it was painful as HELL, and he actually went down with a CRASH face first.

"You stupid bastard!"

As he staggered back to his feet, Dante seemed almost to look surprised, and Vergil returned the strike this time. "I guess you aren't as fucking helpless as I thought!"

He caught his chest with a long deep slice to match his own now healing wound, and then turned to look back towards Reno and Rude--

FUCK.

They had company.

Cloud had a wicked looking sword out, and Zack had his Buster sword, and they were both heading for Vergil.

"Come on then, you fucking bitches."

Cloud LAUNCHED himself at Vergil, the SOLDIER issue sword meeting steel for steel, both young men breathing hard as they faced off.

Vergil had gone insane, this was clear, this was fucking CRYSTAL clear--and as he looked in the ice blue of Vergil's hate filled eyes, he would never forget the sense of malice and sheer evil, something he would again encounter far sooner than he ever dreamed, and from someone he thought he knew.

This now going down--and THAT when it too came--would change EVERYTHING.

Zack rolled his eyes as Dante launched himself at Vergil, obviously angered by the strike. "Cloud, don't worry about him, let 'te get it. We GOTTA get Red and Rudy outta here!" He could see how badly Rude was bleeding, and he suspected that Reno was more hurt than they could SEE. which sent him into a mild panic. "SPIKE! Come ON!"

Dante let out a loud cry as he charged Vergil, fully intent on knocking the sneer off of his brother's face. "Fuck no, Vergil. You AIN'T gonna get away with this shit!" He'd sobered up once the fight had begun, at least, his speech had, which allowed him a little more eloquence when yelling at his brother.

"Fuckface, you been actin' likea ASSHOLE f'MONTHS now! Shoulda beat y'ass down when this shit started, but I didn't, 'cause I thought you'd shape up... gotta FINISH this shit, 'fore you hurt anyone else, 'cludin' yerself!"

...or not.

"DANTE! For Fuck's sake, just knock him OUT, would you!?" Zack was getting tired of hearing the two bicker this way, having known them for long enough to know this was NOT normal, and the sight of a stumbling-drunk Dante further proved his thoughts.

Reno just looked up at them with a begging expression, gasping out in pain as he dug a potion out of his bag, dumping it over the wound, attempting to heal it the remainder of the way so at least Rude would stop bleeding, his entire body shaking, and he was aggravating the bruised spine and the concussion worse, but he didn't care about that right now. His greatest concern was keeping his partner from bleeding to death. He could dimly hear Zack saying something to him about being an idiot, but he didn't completely understand it.

Once he finally had the bleeding stopped and the gaping wound at least LOOSELY healed he collapsed to the floor again, not even able to move his legs for the time being, though thankfully he could still FEEL them, though with a pins and needles sensation that bothered him a lot. He was very sleepy as well, and his eyes finally fluttered closed completely, as he was unable to stay awake any longer.

Vergil was about to write the young SOLDIER off as a pest when the blonde suddenly found an opening, and Vergil found himself staring down at his slashed open belly, blood as well as guts spilling out in a spectacular cascade of gore and heat. Gasping, shocked at this unpleasant turn of events, he lashed out once more at Strife, almost severing his hand, slashing the wrist deeply.

And then AGAIN he went down, once again on his face, but too badly hurt this time to care. The wound was almost the same as the one dealt him by Sephiroth, and he wondered dizzily if disemboweling was a trademark move of SOLDIER, perhaps. The pain was HIDEOUS, though, this time, no doubt because that area had already taken such a bad wound.

Groaning softly he struggled back up, but there was massive damage--and fuck it if the wound wasn't dutifully CLOSING, with intestines still hanging out like orphaned children.

"Oh--oh fuck HUUURTTS--oh SHIT--" This was torture, and when Cloud caught him in the neck, ALMOST beheading him if he had not moved several inches in time, Vergil went down for good, eyes rolling up in his head.

Cloud stood over him, ready to END this, but between Zack's almost SCREAMING at him and Dante's sudden and VERY alarming approach, he retreated, though he kept the now gore-soaked blade OUT and in his hand. His wrist was cut to the bone, and his own pain was stunning, almost making him swoon.

But there was no TIME for that--they HAD to get the pair out of there, and NOW.

Or there would be THREE deaths, instead of the presumed ONE.

Dante let out a strangled sort of noise when he noticed how Vergil's gaping stomach wound had healed, the entrails OUTSIDE of him, turning an angry red color, tinges of blue hinting under the red as the intestines began to choke, starved of valuable oxygen. "Damnit! Damnitdamnitdamnit!" He RACED for Vergil, desperate to save his brother from what would be, no doubt, a nasty and PAINFUL death.

"Cloud!" Zack had been in the middle of dragging Rude from the room when he saw the flash of blades, heard the terrible sound of blood hitting the floor, amongst other things, and he ran back around the corner to see just what had happened, breathing a sigh of relief that CLOUD wasn't the one injured. "Spike, get OUTTA there, and NOW! Grab Red, we gotta GO!"

While Zack was barking out orders to the poor, hapless cadet, Dante was trying to maneuver Vergil to the bed so he could lay him down and open him back up to throw his innards back...well...IN. He cringed, knowing once his knife pierced the skin... Vergil would wake up screaming bloody murder, and he couldn't STOP it.

Reno let out another whimper as he was lifted, his back hurting so badly that there was little else he could do. His eyes began to roll back as the darkness began to suck him under even more deeply. He wasn't sure who had picked him up, until violet eyes floated in his vision for a moment before it darkened completely. It had been ZACK that had picked him up, and that was something he would remember later. The slender arms hung from the bridal carry as his body went completely limp.

Later, he would thank Zack for saving his life, and when everything went bad there would be an encounter that neither of them would forget, one that would get him through a very tough period and help assuage the guilt that would follow, even if only a little.

Cloud hesitated, KNOWING they needed to finish this with Vergil, knowing in his heart of hearts that the demon was never going to relent, that he would have to be physically STOPPED-- evil was something that radiated from him now, and the reserved, almost shy young man that they had known and liked before seemed to be gone for good.

Vergil had turned to the darkness, and it seemed unlikely he would be willing to come back out again.

But seeing Zack with Reno, he sighed, leaning down to shoulder Rude as gently as he could, and he followed his lover, taking them to safety, away from the abode of devils.

Vergil felt the first, fast cut in the freshly healed wound, and when Dante began to shove his ever-so-fragile and sore innards back IN, he HOWLED like a wild animal, struggling hard, tears actually stinging his eyes. There was no more mercy of unconsciousness, and Vergil was reduced to a strangled whimper at this point, the sweat running from his face in streams, vision blurring with the onset of shock.

Grasping at Dante, he managed to gasp out what HAD to be said--

"OPEN--THE--WOUND--BUT--CLEAN--THOSE--FIRST--IN--FEC--TION--"

The pain was horrific, but he understood what had to happen, even as his voice was choked in agony. "HURRY DANTE--"

The housekeeper looked up in shock as Zack and Cloud came in with the apartment's two residents, speaking in a quick pidgin of Costan and Continental that was almost impossible to understand unless you'd been around her a lot. "What happened?" She finally switched to Continental and stayed with it as she began to calm down. "Take them into the bedroom, I will find their healing materia, I know they have some here." Maria left the entryway then, beginning to search the house top to bottom in search of the little green orb.

Reno did little more than let out a groan as he was laid down in his bed, his entire back a brilliant purple as the extensive bruising from the impact began to make itself known. There was a tiny hairline fracture on the back of his skull as well, but fortunately none of the tissue underneath the immediate impact point had been injured other than a small amount of bruising which would resolve on its own soon enough. The concussion itself had been just above the point of the impact.

"Senor, I found the Restore materia, but you will have to do it, I do not have much skill with it. If there is anything I can get for you, though, tell me. Senor Tarshil has this annoying habit of getting himself in trouble, all of the time."

"This time it was Rude that started it..." Zack muttered as they went to the bedroom and set the two down on the bed, hating that they even had to BE here at the moment. "He went to talk to th' idiot at DMC and said idiot at DMC apparently took GREAT offense to what was said, Red just came in at the wrong time and got in the middle of it... it just got bad--even CLOUD didn't get out of it scot-free!"


	5. Chapter 5

After taking the materia from Maria and using it, trying to heal the two up as best he could, Zack turned to Cloud with his own materia and healed the blonde's wrist, sincerely hoping that this did the trick, since if it didn't, there was no doubt that Sephiroth would have his balls lopped off for letting Cloud get hurt. Of course, he was even MORE wary of Sephiroth and his reactions now, since he couldn't tell if he was going to be violent or not.

"We gotta do somethin' about him, Cloud. Even if Dante gets pissed off, we CAN'T let him go after what he did. Just...LOOK at Rudy and Red! That's... that's the mark of someone who's done went around the twist...a few times..."

The sweat was rolling off Cloud's brow at the agony in his wrist, now that the heat of battle had worn off, and there was only the pain. But the work Zack was doing on it was helping tremendously, and finally he was able to speak again.

"I don't think he's going to survive, Vergil I mean. I wanted to finish it, it was pretty bad--I NEEDED to finish it, I sort of--gutted him--don't like to LEAVE anyone like that, you know? But we had to get out of there, and Dante looked like he was gonna come after us--I'm pretty sure he WAS, and we couldn't risk it. But I'm pretty sure Vergil is a goner. Dante probably finished him, really, I don't think he'd let him suffer. If not--"

He couldn't have SURVIVED that, could he??

Cloud had seen what had happened behind the bar, and Vergil had taken the Masamune like a fucking hero, he had been injured but he HAD survived. But this time, Cloud had opened him UP, purposely, TRYING to ensure death. Damn it, he had really WANTED to finish it, too. It gave him the shudders that he had left Vergil that way.

"If he IS alive, then he needs to be committed. He's not SANE, and Dante will see that-- and if not, we'll get the papers signed ANYWAYS. Just would be EASIER with next of kin."

Cringing, Dante had merely nodded at Vergil, making sure to wash the entrails off before he placed them back in, though he'd had to find a pair of clamps to hold the always-mending skin and muscles OPEN so that he could take his time, somewhat. "Goddamnit Vergil, what the FUCK am I supposed to DO with you now, huh? You're... Gods, I don't even know what the fuck to SAY! You're just... fuckitall, you're acting like some kind of fuckin' jealous GIRL!"

He was TIRED of this, just SICK and TIRED of it, and he had no idea what he could do to FIX things. "Vergil, I'm TIRED... just, lay OFF, would you? Back up OFF everyone, let things be how they WERE."

In so much pain he was nearly in TEARS, Vergil nevertheless snarled at Dante when he heard THAT.

"Don't you EVER call me a fucking girl, Dante, EVER. I don't care how much I hurt, or how bad off I am, I will castrate you if you ever do that again!"

Of course, Dante would in the future call him MANY things, some of them much more offensive than 'girl'. But for now, he just needed this to be finished.

"Please hurry, I'm going to pass out if you don't--" He actually DID pass out, and when he awakened, he was lying in their bed again. Smiling at Dante, who was looking down at him with worry as well as anger, Vergil sighed-- "Don't worry, everything will be alright, brother. I promise you, and I won't ask you anymore to join me on my dark journey. I understand now, that I must walk alone. And I will do so."

Jade eyes fluttered open again several hours later, and Reno gasped as he pushed himself into a sitting position, noting the pain in his back had faded to a dull ache, though he still had an almost crushing headache, a result of the lingering concussion that would take a bit longer to resolve itself. "Rude?" The question was quiet, and when he didn't see him there he pushed himself to his feet and staggered out into the living room, then into Rude's bedroom in a bit of a disoriented manner. Seeing that Rude seemed to be resting comfortably he sat down in the chair nearby, ignoring the protests from Zack and Cloud about how he shouldn't be out of bed. This man was his PARTNER, more than that his best friend, and that meant something.

He took Rude's hand gently, giving it a soft squeeze. "He'll be all right, right?" The tone was hopeful, and he looked up at Zack when he spoke, trying not to let the guilt get to him. "It's my fault, if I hadn't been so fucking all fired determined to protect Dante he never would have confronted Vergil in the first place, and this wouldn't have happened. I'm such a friggin' IDIOT. I should have just left it the fuck alone." He was on the verge of tears, but he refused to let them fall, not now.

"Da man is insane, eet is plain to see," Maria's thickly accented voice echoed from the door way as she stood there, watching the two that had been her employers for over a year. She cared for the two as she would her sons, and it was obvious in her affectionate stance.

"Not an idiot, Red. I had been debating on goin' and talkin' to the bastard myself, 'cause it's not RIGHT for him to fuck with Dante so badly. I mean, the man REEKED of booze when he came in earlier, and you KNOW how badly this has to be hurtin' him." Zack shook his head, eyes sliding shut as he thought hard. "Rudy should be okay though. He's healin' up fine, he just needed to get the fuck OUTTA there. Vergil nearly HAD you two when we walked in, even AFTER that--he was still tryin'. He's...he's outta CONTROL."

He HATED seeing anyone hurt like his three close friends were, Dante wasn't PHYSICALLY hurt, but it was quickly escalating to where he COULD be, if he wasn't careful. "We gotta DO somethin' about him, we really gotta. He's gonna end up killin' someone, most likely DANTE, if he keeps this shit up."

"I was wrong."

Rude had sat up slowly, and very painfully, and he waited until he had all their attention, because it fucking hurt to talk.

"I was REALLY wrong, Vergil is a lot worse off than I ever dreamed--and yeah--he needs to be committed, needs to be MADE to cooperate, there ain't no two ways about it--but--Cloud--what were you saying--you--you KILLED him?" If that was the case, Dante was going to be very, very bad off himself, probably a virtual basket case--perhaps even suicidal. Rude was well aware of the depth of the love he held for Vergil, and if the other twin had really died now--oh man. Gonna be BAD for all concerned.

"I don't know, I--got him pretty bad, Rude, I -- look, maybe I ought to go back over there, and FINISH it--it's not like me to leave somebody in that condition, it's gonna HAUNT me, it really WILL!"

"You go over there and DANTE will have to be killed too. He's not gonna let you get NEAR Vergil now. We gotta--just go through legal means, I guess--what do you two think, Red, Zack??

Reno turned to where Rude was sitting, eyes narrowing as he looked over. "That was STUPID, Rude. . .real stupid, and you bitched at ME about doin' it. At least I only talked ta Dante, didn't try ta confront th'big bad himself. And this was after ya told ME not ta do it." Reno was upset, but there was more behind it than that. There was genuine fear in the 16 year old's voice as he said it, fear of losing his partner. "I don't WANNA be angry with you, I don't wanna be UPSET with you, but Gods be DAMNED, I don't wanna see you DIE either. And you're supposed ta be the smart one that thinks shit THROUGH."

Reno knew Rude was likely to say something back, but he made a hand gesture that said for Rude to let him finish, because he had to. If he held it in it would drive him bonkers, and he knew it well. "I don't wanna see you hurt any more than you wanna see it happen ta me, an' I know I'm impulsive an' shit, but it's how I've always been. So yeah. .. can ya NOT do somethin' impulsive and stupid again please? It fucking HURTS when ya do."

FOUR WEEKS LATER...

Rude awakened to the sound of the phone ringing, and he groggily reached for it, unhappily getting hold of it and then dropping it to the floor in his fatigue. Damn it, this was a DAY off, and so why the call??

It was Cloud Strife, and his voice was low and careful--through the fog, he dimly GOT it: SOLDIER, meaning Cloud and Zack, were going to arrest Vergil today, and hopefully it was gonna go down easy--but if not, did he and Reno want to be there to try to make SURE Vergil--and no one else--did not get hurt?

"Mmmmmmmsure. We'll be there. Noonyeahyeahokay." Oh man. This was going to blow donkey dick, and he just KNEW it.

"What?" Dante sat up, half groggy from the booze and the lack of proper sleep, barely noticing that Vergil's side of the bed was long cold, since the man had already been up and about for hours. likely since just after Dante managed to fall asleep. "Cloud--are you sure? I mean, I know we mighta discussed it, but I didn't realize we'd decided to go on THROUGH with it--not that I'm complainin--" He froze, realizing what he was saying, his eyes flickering down to where Vergil was SUPPOSED to be--suddenly realizing that he WASN'T.

"Fuck...fuckfuckfuuuuuck. Cloud, He's gone. He's not in the bed--and I think I just heard his bike take off..."

He groaned, HATING this, just absolutely HATING it, since he'd been wanting to HELP Vergil, and was seeing now that really, he COULDN'T.


	6. Chapter 6

Reno of course GROANED when Rude tried to wake him up, picking up his boot and throwing it at his partner simply because it was how he normally responded to someone trying to wake him up at the buttcrack of dawn. "Don't wanna go ta school. . .tired, let me sleep." The words were muttered as Rude made a second attempt to wake him up, that one somewhat succeeding as he asked in a raspy tone. "Wha' time is it?" When he looked over at the clock and saw it said seven o'clock he groaned and rolled over onto his back. "I swear to Shiva, Rude, if this not an emergency you woke me up at seven on my day off for I am going to cut your fucking balls off and feed 'em to Rufus' cat."

Reno it was well known was FAR from a morning person, as the shoe that usually hit the alarm in the morning would attest to, and he was even LESS so on his day off. So threats of bodily harm upon being awakened were pretty much par for the course for the most part. "Don't tell me, Vergil pulled some dumb ass shit again and Dante called over here to have us come over and help straighten it out." He had no IDEA how close to right he was, even though he figured it was about time for another of the couple's stupid blowouts that somehow or another they always ended up refereeing. "Oh well, get my shit together, the sooner we get this the fuck over with, the sooner I can come home and go back ta BED. Fucking bitch next door banging her boyfriend kept me up 'til two am, lucky you on the other side of the fucking apartment."

Another snort and he climbed out of bed completely naked, somehow not at all disturbed by the fact as he staggered in a still half asleep state toward the bathroom for a shower, scratching his ass as he walked. He was either comfortable enough in his own skin not to be shy in front of his partner or he was simply too sleepy to really give a shit, and no one could really be sure which one. There of course multiple scars of the job that littered the slender frame, and several more that were from before he'd been recruited, the one just to the right of his spine being the newest one, the one dealt by Vergil's excuse for penis compensation sword.

The shower itself was short, and soon enough he was in his jeans and a loose white t-shirt, getting some coffee so he could get himself at least SOMEWHAT awake. "So what's this all about anyway?"

By now Rude had dressed as well, and he was distracted, not even really noticing any of Reno's normally rather amusing early morning antics at all.

Trouble was coming, hell, trouble was here, really. Had been from the time Vergil started getting nastier and nastier, and boy, had it all gone to hell NOW.

"Look, they--Cloud and Zack--they are going over to the twins to arrest Vergil--and have him committed, too, and I'm pretty sure this will be bad. There ain't no WAY that boy will give up without a fight, as we already frigging know better than most--and Dante might just take his side, at least protect him, from being taken away. We got an invite to go BE there, in case, from Cloud, and I don't think he wanted anyone else to even know, maybe not even Zack. So mum's the word, okay? But I think we need to go there--he said noon, so we got time to THINK how to handle this."

Rude hesitated, and then added quietly, "I don't wanna KILL the guy. I really don't. But it might come to that, Ren. You ready to do that, if we have to? This was our friend, at one time. This ain't gonna be easy."

"I know ya don't, and I'm really hopin' it won't come ta that, but Vergil even before alla this mess was a stubborn bastard, and we both know it. Shy and quiet yeah, but really stubborn, and needing ta have his own way. So yeah, all we c'n do is hope Dante can get his ass in hand before shit goes too far for us to be able to do anything but kill him. " Reno picked up his emr, dropping his master spell into the rear slot, and the shiny blue orb of his all into the linked slot in the front. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet in obvious nervousness as he began to head for the door. He assumed they would meet up with Cloud and Zack to plan before going and meeting Dante to get on the hunt.

The thought of Cloud brought a bit of a blush to the fair skinned face, but he of course would never ACT on the tiny crush he harbored. Cloud belonged to Sephiroth and to Zack, and they were his friends, too. He had more respect for those he cared for than to touch any of them that way when they had that deep bond with one another. "Ok, m'ready, Rude, let's go."

Vergil paced, back and forth, lashing at the air with Yamato, his eyes blazing with the totality of madness now-- there was nothing in there that his brother would be able to find of sanity or reason, only the aftereffects of the black magick, the dark and infernal blood rituals that Vergil had been completing almost constantly for the past two weeks, as he was hunted for in a vain attempt to save him.

Dante was coming, already he could hear the powerful motor of the massive bike his brother rode. His own was parked some distance away, on the other side of the cemetary--it wasn't like he was going to need it in a hurry.

Vergil had his plan framed in his mind, in a crystal clarity: Dante would come, wearing the other half of the amulet -- Vergil would best him, leave him on the EDGE of death itself.

No, he would not kill him.

But Dante would be throughly beaten and defeated, and by the time he recovered, Vergil would be long gone, to raise the Temen-Ni-Gru. Dante he would return for in glory and full splendor at the appointed time, claiming his lover and his prize, making Dante co-regent of the worlds. He would see the truth, in time, and he would see things the right way--and they would reign together, none would stand against the family of Sparda ever again.

Mundus he would keep as a captive to torment at his leisure, as a fell warning to all.

But for now--he had to feep his mind utterly focused, and get this thing DONE.

The bike rolled up behind him, and he did not turn around, even when the motor was cut, and there was the sound of the dismount, of guns being cocked. He did smile, however. Of course, those filthy firearms, so very like Dante. Back still turned, he greeted Dante coldly.

"Hello, brother."

Dante kicked harshly at the kickstand, making sure to embed it DEEP in the ground, that way there was no way that the bike would fall over, in case one of them knocked into it.

They'd been searching for two solid weeks, and all they had turned up was empty clues and hollow trails, leaving Dante feeling worse and worse with each passing day. "No calls, no messages, no anything Vergil... I thought you were dead." Had almost wished you were, but you're my brother, I could never really want you dead. He turned dull, almost lifeless eyes to stare at Vergil, his Voice nearly null and void of all emotions right then.

"What do you WANT from me, Verg?" He had Ebony and Ivory out, cocked, but still at his sides, his eyes practically BORING into Vergil's back. "I can't be what you want me to be, I can't do what you want me to do, and I can't let you do what you want to do. I can't, I really can't. You're pushin' shit, Verg, pushin' it hard, pushin' it too far." Lips pursed, he trembled slightly. "Don't make me do what I said I'd do, Vergil...don't. 'cause you know I will..."

Big bluff Dante, don't let him figure it out, or else you might have to go through with it anyway...

Still with his back turned, still with the madman's smirk upon his lips, Vergil laughed very softly, almost inaudibly.

"Yes, I remember. You warned me. I remember very clearly, Dante. The night before I left, you told me that if I went any farther with the killing spree, you would have to stop me yourself, because you wouldn't want anyone else to do it. How charming, wanting the kill for yourself. Insisting on it, like a jealous lover. But of course, we always did find that sexual thrill in the blood and harming of one another--why would this be any different now? But I have no time for the false joy of your bed now, brother. I have found something far more important, something more lasting and more satisfying than even your bodily delights. One day, you will understand, and you will see. We are Spardas, and we have a higher calling than the nightly rut of sweat and semen. You shall hold me back NO LONGER!!"

He finally turned around, so that Dante would see the frozen amethyst fire of his eyes, insane, without any germ or spark of reason now.

"I am going to raise the Temen-Ni-Gru, Dante. I will unlock father's seal upon the demon world, and both realms will mingle as one, the weak perishing, as they ought to. That will, of course, include most ALL of your beloved humans. What a pity, such a loss."

The sarcasm in his voice was cold and evil.

Yamato lashed out, and Vergil held it out towards Dante in readiness to fight--"I just need one more thing--and you wear that around your neck, Dante. We can do this the easy way, or the fatal way. It does not matter to me, now."

"It WASN'T false joy, you bastard!" Dante was clearly taken aback by this sudden insight into his brother's thinking, and he really didn't like it one bit, not at ALL. "How many nights did you writhe under me? Over me? Even beside me? The cries, the words... the love... it's all REAL, no matter what YOU seemed to have deluded yourself into thinking now."

His precious weapons were brought to bear, one pointed at Vergil's head, the other at the heart that he was fairly sure didn't exist anymore. "Don't DO this shit, Verg, just DON'T. It's not RIGHT, this isn't OUR world, this is THEIR world, it's not RIGHT for us to just...TAKE it, to USE it for our own purposes.."

"You are not worthy to bear the name of Sparda."

Vergil was unflinching, and he moved, faster really then the eye could follow, Yamato slashing out with the masterful hand wielding it--and though he might have beheaded his brother then and there, this wasn't ABOUT Dante dying, or even being harmed--it was about Vergil doing what he had to do, to restore the rightful order to the worlds--both worlds--and the blood of Sparda must rule, as it ought to be.

Dante did not fire, as Vergil knew he would not, and now the younger brother's ignorance of how much Vergil could really TAKE was quite convenient, as he had known it would be.

When Vergil finished his sword-stroke, he held Dante's amulet in his hand, and his smile was the same, frigid and merciless.

"I believe we have no more to discuss, this day, brother. I must be going, I have so little time, and so much to accomplish. You will see, one day, I promise you." He turned to walk away, almost causally. As if this had been just a little family reunion.

Goddamnit, Vergil, why do you HAVE to do this!? Dante glared at Vergil as he strode away, cold and uncaring, something he was getting USED to seeing--even if he still wasn't liking it. "You're the one throwing Dad's sacrifice away... Not sure how that makes you worthy of being called a Sparda. He sealed it away for a reason, and now you're just gonna throw it all away for furthering something that's ridiculous."

Ebony was pointed at Vergil's head, and the finger on the trigger was twitching, tensing--his violet eyes sliding shut as the gun clicked, then fired, narrowly missing Vergil's head, just grazing his ear. The only reason he missed was because of the trembling in the normally steady frame. "Fuck..." His eyes slid open, knowing that it'd been his own fault that he'd missed, but he'd never admit it out loud. "Vergil--Fine, just walk off. This ain't gonna end the way you want it to, and you'll see that, you'll see it eventually." He could FEEL his heart tearing with each step away Vergil took, but he wasn't about to go with him, not when he KNEW better.

"Goodbye, Dante. I see your aim is far from true, even at such a close range, I can hardly believe you missed, in fact, I don't believe it. But I must be going, I have much to do. It is you who will understand, in time, when I have changed the future for all of us."

He walked on, feeling the heat of Dante behind him, that last fragment of weakness and desire SCREAMING at him to just LET. THIS. GO.

To turn and drop the amulet, to go to Dante and let this ALL GO.

He could not. This was FOR Dante, as much as it was for him, and he was not about to fail either of them. Even though--the hand that clutched Dante's amulet was sweating, cold. Trembling.

He kept walking, ignoring the blood trickling from the light wound, already sealing up.

DARING Dante to fire. Almost wishing he would, somehow, because then he COULD surrender, and it would be alright.

"...Just let it go, would you?" Dante WAS pleading now, almost ready to fall to his hands and knees if need be, even if he knew it wouldn't do any good. Once Vergil had made up his mind, it was made up, and even if he STOPPED, and let it GO--he would never truly let it go.

"I don't want the power, I don't want anything or anyone else but YOU, why can't you GET that through your fuckin' thick skull, Verg? Why's everythin' have to be about POWER and minions, why'd it gotta be about wiping the humans off of THEIR world? Huh? Why can't it just be about you and me? The way it SHOULD be."

When he saw Vergil turn around, presumably for the last time--he fired one last shot, the bullet nicking the chain on Vergil's amulet just right, the soft chink of it hitting the ground making his heart stop for a moment. He...he'd ALMOST hit his brother in the jugular--that... that would have been FATAL if he'd hit him there. He still didn't know of the healing powers they had, or else he would have been kicking Vergil's ass.

When the gun fired, and there was a sharp impact on his chest--but not IN it-- Vergil held his breath in sudden alarm, unclear what was happening, and his cool lost for the moment, as would show on his face, startled and rather horrified. His amulet clattered to the ground, and he quickly picked it up, holding both in one hand.

Unsure.

VERY unsure.

Dante was shouting at him to not do this, to give it up, to come HOME for god's sake, just come HOME again.

"I can never go home again, Dante. You know that. I know that. It's all gone too far now."

Oh, he wanted to. Would Dante see that in the sadness that came into his gaze for a second, or would he miss it? Did it even matter now, any of it? It really was too late, at least in his mind. He'd killed too many, delved too deeply, gone too... damned far. Dante, damn it, if he would only shut up.

Please shut up, you're killing me, and you don't even know it.

"Vergil, come ON...! It's not too LATE for you! Vergil...??"

He stood there for what seemed like ten lifetimes, and then his arm lashed out, flinging Dante's amulet back at him hard, Vergil walking away fast as he did so. Never looking back again, and he vanished behind the masoleum, his bike roaring to life as he fled Dante's presence.


	7. Chapter 7

Reno heard the bike take off, and he followed the sound for a bit until it disappeared into the distance, then seeing Dante's bike, he ran into the cemetery itself, when he found his friend, obviously in a great amount of emotional pain, he knelt in front of him. "Dante. . .m'not gonna force, but if ya wanna talk about it, m'here, yo, ok? M'not goin' anywhere, m'not gonna abandon you, friends don't do shit like that." He didn't touch Dante at that point, but those jade eyes were utterly serious when he pinned Dante with them. He nodded to Rude to bring the car around, so he could get Dante into it.

"C'mon, you need people around ya right now, FRIENDS around ya, even if ya don't want 'em, and even if ya don't think ya do. You can stay with Rude n' I, we got more'n enough room, an' we got the sofa bed. It ain't much, but it'll be somethin', at least." Another gentle smile and he helped Dante into the car. As soon as he had Dante settled in, he began to call their friends, getting the answering machine he left a message with Zack, Cloud, and Sephiroth. The other Turks involved had messages left as well. Finally, he got to the last name on Dante's phone book, and lofted a brow. "Kuja? Man, none of us have heard anything from the pretty boy for a while. Gonna give him a call."

"Oh Hey, Kuja, yeah, know it's been a while since ya heard from any of us. Somethin' happened between Dante and Vergil, so far's we can tell, and we're takin' him home with us, Rude n' I. Yeah, you can come over if ya want, we don't mind."

Kuja had just gotten out of the shower when Reno's phone call was answered. Even after they hung up it took him a few long seconds to fully realize just what had happened. Something went wrong with Vergil and Dante..? But wasn't that sort of.. impossible? He blinked the shock away again as if he still couldn't believe it and set his phone back down on the hook as he went to get dressed. His brows crinkled together in troubled thought as he did. His normal apparel was violet, gold and white themed, but for this he decided to pick out something the same but black, silver and white instead, and this time leave the armored coat at home. After getting dressed he quickly headed for Reno's(--or Dante's?) place to wait in front of it. It had been so long since they'd seen him that his hair had gotten quite a bit longer and dangled wetly to his calves now. He sneezed, waiting in the cold for them to arrive.

After about half an hour he picked up his cell and dialed in a number belonging to someone from the past that he just so happened to to have been working on for years. Hey, it wasn't like Kuja to pass up an opportunity now was it? Time to reel the boy in. "Hello Zidane." He put a distinctive sadness into his voice; "Listen I'm kind of in a crisis right now, do you think you could come over...? I would really like for you to be here right now.." He gave Zidane the address, grinning like the devil and sounding as pouty as he could manage.

Muscles tense, Dante was glad that Reno didn't try to touch him, since he wasn't sure of just how he would react to such a slight and friendly touch, jerking away from the redhead when he tried to shoo him to the car that Rude had just parked next to them. He was still staring in the direction that Vergil had gone, hoping to see him coming back to hear that almost painfully--and annoyingly-- seductive, punk-kid voice telling him it was all a joke, a sick, fucked up joke that was done with--

But that wasn't the case.

And he knew it.

After sitting there for a long while, at least another hour, Hell, maybe even two, he wasn't sure, he sat there, watching, staring, not moving and barely even breathing as he waited, wanting nothing more than to see Vergil coming back, to hear that powerful bike coming up behind the mausoleum... but after a few hours, it was obvious that Vergil WASN'T coming back, that he just wasn't.

"Let's go, Dante."

He could hear Reno and Rude both trying to get him to see reason--which he DID see--and trying to get him to get in the car, to go home, because this just wasn't healthy, which he knew. Finally, he nodded at Reno's insistent tones and stood up, brushing the litter from his jeans as he walked to the car, climbing into the backseat, not bothering to put a seatbelt on since he merely collapsed on his side , curling into the smallest ball he could, staring out the front windshield with dulled violet eyes. This was hurting him more than anyone would know--well, Kuja would know, and Reno would have a good IDEA of it.

Meanwhile, Zidane was staring at his phone, idly wondering if this was some kind of joke of Kuja's that would leave him sitting in front of some strip club... again... waiting for Kuja, who wasn't about to show up. "Really? Yeah, I'll be there.." He sounded a little hesitant, but at sixteen, he was more than a little pent up, and Kuja had this insane habit of teasing and toying with him until he was thinking something MIGHT just happen--and then he ended up having to finish himself off with his hand, which left him sated, but not satisfied.

As they gently eased Dante inside, Rude was horrified at the condition the half devil was in now, but it was obvious why.

His whole world had been taken from him, and anyone could see it in the deep look of grief on Dante's once happy face. His whole aura and presence was darkened, a once-joyous house saddened by a death, a carnival with sounds of light hearted good humor now a morgue, nothing left in Dante but a void where his exuberant soul had been. Vergil had succeeded in destroying him, and that much was clear.

Rude took Reno aside after he was done with the calls, and looked at him gravely.

"I'm proud of you, Red, I really am, you're tryin' to do everything right. He's --sort of like crippled right now, we gotta be careful of him. I never seen a man so hurt, not like this. He looks like his heart was ripped clean from him, and he shouldn't even still be alive at all. We gotta keep a watch on him, just stay careful, Reno, and --don't say anything BAD about Vergil to him. Trust me, he AIN'T gonna want to hear that."

"M'tryin'. . it HURTS to see him hurting like this, ya know? He's a friend, and I don't like seeing friends in pain, 'specially not like this. I just don't GET it, though, Rude. I don't GET what compels people ta walk away from somethin' like this. I probably never will." Of course he had no idea how prophetic those words would be in the years to come, he couldn't.

He just set a bottle of Jack in front of Dante, not saying anything, just setting it down. Reno knew that what Dante needed most right now was to be able to forget, and that was what the liquor was for. Once the half devil had begun to come to terms with the whole mess, he would want to talk, and the slender Turk would have a listening ear ready. Dante was his friend, and he would do all in his power to try to ease the mess.

Dante's face was oddly blank as he stared ahead, not talking, barely even breathing--or so it seemed, his chest barely moving as he sat at the table, though his eyes did move to stare at the bottle of Jack in front of him. It took him a few moments to make up his mind before he simply reached over and snagged the bottle, twisting the top off easily as he raised it up, tipping it to his mouth. No need for a shot glass, he was fully intent on downing this in one go, which--unsurprisingly, he did.

Letting out a loud belch, he half expected to hear that damnable voice of Vergil's telling him how utterly uncouth that was of him, how much of a cretin SLOTH he was for his bad habits, but the reprimand never came, and neither did any respite from the terrible pain he was feeling. He grunted, shooting a look at Reno that would be clearly understood. MORE.

He was faintly surprised that his mind was blank as well, but for that, he was grateful. He didn't WANT to think, didn't WANT to try and figure out what he'd done too warrant this sort of pain, this horrible treatment by the one that had sworn to love him forever and beyond. He waited for the next bottle to be put in front of him, vacant eyes turning to look at all those around him. As much as he wished he could just wallow in his misery all alone, he knew that he was liable to do something incredibly stupid, so he was thankful for all those that had come to keep him from doing such a thing.

Rude took Reno aside and made a suggestion--the only one he could really think of that might help at all right now.

"Look, I'm gonna go out and HUNT for Vergil--you stay here with Dante and be CAREFUL. The guy is a fucking powder keg, trust me, I know that look all too well. This is the hurt lover phase, this is where he either hurts himself or someone ELSE. And I don't want it to be you. But somebody's gotta DO something, and there ain't nothin' gonna HELP here but finding shithead, bringing him back where he belongs. I don't know what happened between them, but we can fix it. We GOT to, now, as much as I wanted to stay the fuck OUT of it."

Rude grabbed his coat, and glanced in Dante's direction again.

Good god, this was BAD.

Reno nodded, setting the next bottle of jack in front of Dante, otherwise not really speaking. Somehow he knew that Dante wouldn't hurt him, no matter Rude's fears. The half-devil was in a bad place emotionally, but he wouldn't lash out at his friends, it wasn't his way. Soon enough the smell of spaghetti began to fill the air as well while Reno started making something to eat. He wasn't sure if Dante would eat or not, but it didn't matter. He was being that quiet friend which was what the other needed right then.

"When you're ready, Dante. ..I'll listen, ok? No pressure, just sayin'. Just whenever you're ready. You're m'friend, and you know that I take carea my friends when I can." The smile he cocked in Dante's direction was almost SHY, though he himself was far from. Dante in this state of mind simply made him a bit nervous. "Got spaghetti too, so if you're hungry, you c'n have some, just let me know, ok?"

Cracking the second bottle open, Dante tilted his head back, downing a good quarter of it before he slammed it back down, then extended at those around him. Hell, if he was getting wasted, why not have everyone join in? The more the merrier, of course. He looked over and spotted Kuja and Zidane walking in, the slightest bit of a smile crossing his face when he heard the familiar tones of the two squabbling, knowing that that would never, EVER change. "Shaddup." He snapped, a bit hoarsely, not bothering to say anything else afterwards.

Zidane's head whipped around when he heard Dante speak, eyes lighting on the bottle in his hands. "...almost afraid to ask what the Hell happened." He muttered, lofting a brow. "Where's--" He felt someone throw something at him for nearly mentioning the dreaded name, who-- he wasn't sure though, or else he would have shot them an indignant look.

Dante held out the bottle again, motioning for everyone to have at it as he grabbed a third, cracking it open for himself as he watched the others. He wanted to get wasted, he wanted to have friends get wasted along with him, and he would sit back and watch as they did whatever it was they would do, and be very, VERY sure to re-direct and drunken passes on himself by Kuja back at Zidane, since he could tell the teen looked ready to molest his older brother.

Knowing exactly who Zidane was about to ask for, Kuja decided distraction was always the best way to go. He slipped an arm around Zidane's waist and leaned down placing his mouth against Zidane's ear, flicking his tongue slightly against it, appearing to be doing something lewd to everyone else instead of talking. He whispered in a low and very quiet voice. "Vergil left him, be quiet about it." He murmured against his little brothers ear and with a little bite on the earlobe he left it as quickly as he came into contact with it.

"Dante dear! It's so wonderful to see you again! My... you look as handsome as ever!" He smiled at the half devil coyly. Obviously Kuja had never changed.

"We should all drink like old times."

Reno nodded and took a deep draught off the bottle of Black Jack, watching the group as a whole through slightly hooded eyes as he did. He might get into a sandwich with Kuja and Zidane if it was allowed, Lord knows he'd wondered if those tails truly were prehensile once or twice. OK, so maybe he did have the sex drive of the average lion at mating time, but he couldn't help that really, it was all a result of the crazy screwed up hormonal mix that was a part of what he was. The sex drive definitely came as part and parcel of it.

Two more swallows off the bottle and he was beginning to get a bit of that warm glow that was often the result of drinking whiskey, and he was smiling covertly at both Genomes with extremely lecherous intent. He would take them both that night if they allowed it, with no regrets in the least about it. The condoms were right up in the bathroom cupboard, and he always kept one in the side table drawer on the off chance he brought someone home.

He couldn't help but feel eyes on him and quickly looked over to Reno. He recognized the look in his eyes.. he himself has given it many times. The genome watched Reno right back as he decided to straddle Zidane's lap, legs widely apart. Kuja grabbed both sides of Zidane's collar and pulled himself closer to his little brothers face. He had been teasing the shit out of Zidane for ages, waiting until the little genome really wanted him and finally, he was about to give him everything that he'd wanted and more and get Zidane for the first time for himself too.

For a split second he took his eyes off Reno only to give Zidane that half laden look of lust and sheer wanting, so close to his face he was sure the genome could feel Kuja's breath on his lips. He whispered, but loud enough for Reno and everyone else to hear. "I want you tonight, Zidane. First to myself and then.." Kuja smiled as he looked at Reno "-Then I think we should get to know everyone better, don't you?" Kuja looked as if he were about to purr like a kitten, obviously aroused and slightly shifting like a belly dancer, constantly writhing on Zidane's lap unable to get comfortable or sated. Long silver strands of hair that were actually illuminated in low light like the moon, wrapped around one of his legs and the rest of it spilled onto the floor upon sitting in Zidane's lap, his lips were wet to keep from salivinating at just how badly he wanted the little genome. Torturing Zidane all those years was actually a torture on himself too to some degree, and now Reno was really making him impatient for sex. As for Dante, Kuja had always wanted a taste of that.

Dante watched in half-feigned interest as Zidane started to squirm under his brother, a faint smile on his face as he listened to the poor teen panted, trying obviously to restrain himself, though the half-demon was about to tell him to just go for it, that it wasn't worth the blue balls to hold himself in restraint just because they weren't by themselves.

Had Kuja mentioned 'getting to know' everyone before he'd mentioned the wanting him first, then Zidane would have been growling and pitching a fit, but as it stood, he was ready and raring to go, BEYOND ready for this moment. His hips rolled up into Kuja's, a soft mewl coming from him as his tail unfurled from next to him and wrapped around the lithe waist, tangling in the thick hair that was draped over the area. "'bout TIME, Kuj..." He murmured, leaning up to brush their lips together. "And I'm open to getting to know the others..." He looked pointedly at Reno then, licking his lips at the slightly older man before he smirked, turning his attention back to the task at hand.

His hands quickly unbuckled the strange buttskirt-thing that his brother was so fond of wearing, shifting Kuja in such a way that the article of clothing fell from the other's waist, a hand quickly unzipping himself, a slight shifting of his own hips freeing his already hardened erection, allowing it to rub hotly against the other Genome's thigh, the tail unwrapping once again to move and twine itself around the elegant length presented to him. "C'mon, Kuj... I want you...don't tease me this time..." He locked lips with him again, moaning into it as he felt the warmth settling into his lap once again.

Reno had ended up sandwiched between the two genomes, and the experience had been an enjoyable one, but he had held Dante's eyes the whole time, desire, NEED in those pale green depths.


	8. Chapter 8

Six months had passed since Vergil had left, six months of sheer Hell for everyone, really, but at least Dante had been willing to talk about it as of late. To talk about Vergil, and what the leaving had done to him. This night was a Friday, Rude was pulling a night shift, and Reno had brought out three bottles of the sake Rude had brought back from his last mission in Wutai, as it had been discovered Dante liked the stuff. They had intentions only of watching a movie and having some of the sake, really, though they didn't know it would end up going further than that. "It's been in the warmer, so it's perfect, just like ya like it. Let me get the shotglasses down."

By the time they'd watched a few alien robots get their asses fried they were both pretty toasted, and Reno noticed the arm around his back, though he didn't say anything, figuring Dante was just being his usual physically friendly self. "So. . .ya like the movie?" He could feel his face growing more than a little warm as Dante pulled him a bit closer, but figured, eh, the guy was drunk, just getting a bit handsy, wasn't anything to worry about really.

He suddenly found himself eye to eye with Dante, though, and the look in those deep violet pools made him suddenly stiffen like a deer caught in the headlights of an SUV. "'Te. . what is with that look? You're startin' ta scare me here."

Dante had finally started opening up about Vergil, about what he'd done... and he was eternally grateful to Reno for him being such a damned good friend to put up with his moody ass for so long. Even now, he kept making snide comments during the movie on how Vergil would always point out the obvious flaws in a movie, the annoying habit of giving the ending away halfway through, regardless of if Dante told him to or not. "See, he woulda pointed out how you can OBVIOUSLY see the guy in the alien suit right there. It's a MOVIE, of course there's no ALIENS...ya gotta have an imagination, for fuck's sake."

He yawned widely, arms stretching above his head for a moment before he let them back down, barely noticing that the one was now carefully wound around Reno's waist. He'd started to finally notice Reno in the recent weeks, though when he was sober, he was smart enough not to do anything, especially when Rude was around. Intoxicated, however, was a whole different story, especially when it was just he and the redhead.

The comfortable warmth next to him was having an oddly seductive affect on him, as was the sake, and the romantic undertones of the movie weren't helping at ALL either. He found his attention wavering from the movie to settle on Reno, his eyes roving over the lithe body, and once Reno turned and LOOKED at him...his retraint whittled down to nothing and he found himself moving to cover Reno with his body, catching his lips in a brief kiss, his tongue barely flicking out to taste the full lips against his.

Reno looked almost as if he'd been POLEAXED when Dante kissed him, stiffening for only a second before he gave in, opening his mouth and letting the half-devil's tongue inside. He MOANED into the kiss. This was the first time he had been touched in love, the first time someone had wanted him for more than just a body to service them, and it was a heady feeling. The slender arms went around Dante as the lithe body was lifted from the sofa, and he let his head rest against Dante's chest. "You can have anything you want from me as long as you let me keep feeling this wonderful."

Reno meant it too. Things had been tense, as if Rude was hiding something from him that he wanted to say, but the little redhead had no idea what, no matter how he thought about it. Of course Reno wasn't famed for being someone who could read the signs a person gave off unless he was specifically looking for them, in fact he was usually pretty damn oblivious. "I just wanna forget, just for a little while. I wanna help you forget too. To the bed, hmm?"

"This isn't about what I want, really... I-- You've helped me so much, and you've been right next to me this whole time, helping me along, helping me get over what he did to me, what he destroyed... I want to help you now... and even drunk as I am right now, I'm pretty sure I can tell you need this just as much as I do..." Dante murmured as he moved Reno to the bedroom, laying him down on the bed gently as he remembered his own strength, not wanting to hurt him in any way. This was as much about him getting the sudden itch that he needed to scratch after having finally gotten the nerve to make the move he'd been wanting to as it was about him repaying Reno for his help. Of course, he needed to repay a few others, but he would find a way more suited to them.

He easily stripped the both of them down to nothing before he slid onto the bed, wrapping his arms around Reno as he laid there for a moment, just relishing in the feel of skin against his once again. "You don't realize how much this--YOU--means to me... You kept me from doin' somethin' stupid, YOU made sure I had people around me to keep me from feeling alone... there's only one way I can think to repay you... might not be the most original way ever, but it's the thought that counts, right?" He nuzzled into the thick red hair for a minute before he pulled away, shifting the two of them to where he was over the top of Reno.

As he was pushed into, that untouched spot that it seemed Dante had found breached, he stiffened at first, then relaxed as the half devil seemed to realize he needed to take his time and let Reno adjust to a presence inside that place. As the sting of the breach faded away and Dante began moving he could feel places inside that suddenly dampening channel being touched that sent little shocks over his nerves, ones that made him shiver. Then when fingers found their way between their two bodies, one hand brushing against his aching cock, and the others against that tiny bead atop the feminine channel behind that twitching length, the slender body arched up and Reno gasped in surprised pleasure.

He had allowed the use of the rear channel many times during his time on the streets, but the use of the front. ..that had not been allowed simply because he had not been ready for nor had he wanted a child sired on him while he was working the streets, though it had lost him more than a few customers for him to not allow them that. "Oh. ..oh Gods, I've never felt anything like this before. Don't stop, oh Sweet Shiva whatever you do do not fucking stop!"

Each motion drew another sobbing, hitching moan as he became almost overstimulated, due to the alcohol he had racing through his system he didn't even think about protection, didn't want to stop long enough to think about it, what Dante was doing to him felt too fucking good. If this was what women felt when they were fucked he could see why Scarlet liked it so much. This was. . .well, Paradise was almost too light a word for it.

Dante pressed light kisses along the pale neck, keeping his thrusts purposefully deep and slow, not wanting to rush this at all. "Why would I stop?" He murmured, nipping at Reno's collarbone. "I want you to feel good...damn good... You deserve this, you fuckin' deserve the whole world for helping me get through this..."

He moaned suddenly, feeling the heat in his stomach drop lower and lower, hoping he could hold himself in until Reno was closer, until Reno was feeling just as good as he was, even though he could tell that it wouldn't take too much longer for that to happen.

Suddenly with a sobbing cry he was pushed over, the wet tunnel gripping Dante like a glove as the twitching shaft released its payload all over his chest, body trembling hard as wave after wave of indescribable feeling rolled through him, making him cling to Dante like a lifeline. He could feel sleep calling for him even as he clung, whispering "Cum for me" into the half devil's ear as his body began to slowly be drug down into the dark depths of sleep.

It was exhaustion in every sense of the word, mental, emotional, every sense. He didn't even think about what they'd forgotten, not at that time, but he probably would in the morning. And when he did there would be minor freakage.

Dante let out a low growl as he gave one final hard thrust into Reno, spilling the unnaturally warm seed into the teen's wet cranny, not thinking, nor even contemplating what could and WOULD happen because of his inability to think of what he should at the RIGHT time. "Gods...soo good..." He pressed a soft kiss to Reno's lips as the teen started to fall asleep beneath him, not bothering to pull out before he took the redhead into his arms and rolled both of them over into a more comfortable position.

He wasn't thinking about his actions, though he certainly WOULD once everything came to light and he realized just what they'd done, what they'd MADE--and what would bond them in a way that neither of them had probably seen coming.

Reno woke in the morning with a soft groan, flipping over onto his back, one arm making a distinct slap as it connected with someone else's skin. He didn't remember much of the previous night at all, though that was due to the enormous amount of alcohol he'd had the night before. His head pounded like a bass drum, and it took him a few moments to figure out just who he'd smacked when he'd woken up. "'Te, what're ya doin' here? And why does my cooze feel like someone jabbed a flaming icepick in it? Oh Gods, I feel so friggin' sick, and my head hurts. How much did we drink last night?"

It was when he felt dried SEED on the insides of his legs that some of it clicked and he shook Dante hard. "Dante. . .did we. . .did we fuck last night? I don' remember, got no memory of last night at all. Wha' happened?" He honestly didn't remember and that disturbed Reno more than he really wanted to admit. He staggered off to the bathroom, bending down in front of the toilet and vomiting almost violently from the hangover.

Dante snuffled quietly in his sleep, barely letting out a soft moan when he was struck by Reno's flailing arm. "Whut?" He slit one eye open and rolled over, about to throw his arm over Reno's waist when the redhead took off into the bathroom, the harsh sounds alerting him to the fact that Reno had had just as much, if not more, of the sake the night before. "Fuck? Did we? Fuuuuuuck, I--"

He blinked, then bits and pieces of the night before sprang into his mind, "...heh." He sat up, scratching himself as he waited for his mind to un-fog some. "...I think we DID...Red... pretty SURE we did..."

Then it hit him, dead on. "We didn't use protection. .oh shit.. .. oh fuck. . .I can hear the 'I told you so' coming from Rude already." Reno resisted the urge to head floor as he cursed himself for ten different kinds of idiot and for letting himself get as drunk as he had. He knew Rude was going to be far from happy. TSENG would be far from happy, as would the old man, though he didn't much care what the President thought. IF it turned out that the night had indeed been fruitful, which he himself was not even sure was possible and was hoping NOT, but with his odd physiology he couldn't be absolutely sure it WASN'T either, a strong request for an abortion would likely be tendered.

He just sighed, shaking his head, curling his limbs under him and rising to his feet as the nausea from the hangover finally died back. He padded out into the kitchen to start coffee just as Rude walked in from his night shift, the scent of semen and sake of course permeating the air, and would hit Rude in the face as he walked inside. "Got coffee, Rude, if ya want some." Reno said quietly as he poured himself a cup.

Rude smelled the STINK of it all right away, and he looked at Reno, nauseated from the stench of old come and god knew what else.

Reno and Dante, nice. Really fucking NICE. "Yeah--hey, you know where I was all night? I intercepted a report that Vergil was seen in the old warehouse district, and so I took personal time OFF to go look for him myself. I spent six hours down there, looking for a guy that is neither my lover, nor my brother, or really should be ANY of my concern now."

God, his forehead vein was THROBBING. He might have been this angry at some point before, but he couldn't recall it.

He brushed past Reno and walked into where a VERY groggy looking Dante was trying to rouse himself to wakefulness. "They are going to KILL your brother, Dante, thought you might be INTERESTED, I might be wrong. I overhead the orders being given to the SOLDIER cadets, they are going to hunt for him over the next few weeks-- and take Zack along especially--do you know why? To BEHEAD Vergil when they find him. It's funny, you probably should be LOOKING for him, instead of ME, and instead of BANGING someone else here. Oh, and drowning in about 200 GIL of booze, at last count! -- I am out hunting for YOUR lover, YOUR brother, and YOU are here FUCKING Reno. CLASSY, Sparda, really fucking CLASSY."

Dante's lip curled into a snarl, "You didn't TELL me that's the mission you went on, Rude. Can't go HELP when I don't know what the fuck's goin' ON." He sat up in the bed, shaking his head as he did so. "I thought you were on a TURK mission, not a personal one to find my fuckface of a brother. Damnit Rude, he hasn't been seen around here in ages, I wouldn't have KNOWN to look around here. I don't KNOW where he would hide out right now because I don't KNOW Vergil, this isn't MY Vergil!"

He threw the sheets off of him and stormed out of the room, disregarding of the fact that he was naked and still covered in the sticky mess from him and Reno's fun the night before. "Rude, you KNOW that I looked CONSTANTLY for him the first two months after he left... and nearly ran myself ragged even after THAT... he wasn't HERE, and if he wasn't HERE, then I had no fuckin' CLUE where else to look."

Reno, figuring discretion was the better part of valor, got the Heck out of Dodge as quickly as he could. He would not at all be surprised if the argument between Dante and Rude came to blows and the last thing he wanted was to get hit by a stray fist. He headed for the shower, getting into the bathroom to clean himself up and get ready for work, despite the hangover. It took him all of fifteen minutes to get showered and dressed.

He was at this point hoping to slip out the door past the two of them without getting spotted because he didn't want to get involved in this argument at all if he could avoid it. He did NOT want to get into it, at all. YES he'd slept with Dante, but he had been DRUNK at the time, which had pretty much killed any resistance he may have had to the idea, which really didn't help at all. Reno's mind was racing with all the various possibilities he did NOT want to contemplate and the last thing he wanted to do was get into a fight like this.


	9. Chapter 9

Two weeks passed of almost stony silence, Reno suspecting that Rude wanted Dante to get his own head together and move on, but he wasn't too sure himself. He'd woken up that morning with his belly feeling as if it was trying to exit his body through his throat. It was worse than the hangover the night he'd slept with Dante, and he'd had no alcohol to explain it. He was pretty sure the sounds of him being VERY sick had probably woken the rest of the house, and the possibility that came to his mind did not ease him one bit.

Rude had heard Reno being ill--hell, who WOULDN'T?--and he had put it together, pretty sure of that, anyway.

The call came in as he tried to think what to do next, and he answered it quietly:

"Yeah? Wait, what--oh shit. Okay. No, I understand, Cloud--I--you sound like something's wrong there too. You can TELL us, we--okay, okay, I WON'T ask anymore. But tell me again, I just opened my eyes, day off, shit always goes to hell on days off, I -- okay-- wait, wait, no don't do that--let me tell Dante--yeah--he's STILL here--nope, I guess he doesn't WANT to go home, he seems to have grown ROOTS here, I mean, I feel SORRY for the guy, but fuck--I am gonna go tell him, right now. Cloud, PLEASE try to get them off the trail, if they kill Vergil--okay--thanks--do your best, and I'll get his ass UP. Thanks, bye."

Getting up in the slow misery of fatigue, Rude shook off the grogginess and walked in to where Dante was heavily asleep, the smell of whiskey THICK, the sounds of Reno's puking still echoing in Rude's ears.

"DANTE. Get the fuck UP. They are about to corner Vergil in the warehouse district, they are a mile from him. They have him surrounded. We gotta move, NOW."

Dante had been in a state of half-awareness, hearing Reno being sick, hearing Rude getting a phone call, hearing his own heart beating loudly in his eardrum, though the loud YELLING from Rude had roused him, making his head hurt worse than it already was. "Fuckwhat?" What had he said? Something about Vergil...and a warehouse... ohshit. He sat up and threw the sheets off so he could slide easier from the bed and threw on his jeans, putting Ebony and Ivory in their respective places before he bolted for the door. No time to worry about sick-as-a-dog Reno, he had a brother to save, and not near enough time to get DOWN there.

"Fuckfuckfuckfuck..." He muttered, running out the front door. He had to get TO Vergil before something bad happened to him, before they KILLED him. "I'll be back...uh...yeah, I'll be back. Don't worry, okay?"

Reno had finally managed to get to his feet, though he wobbled, and walked down to the store. He had a feeling he KNEW what was going on, though he hoped, Oh sweet Shiva did he hope, that he was wrong. The test was removed from the box with a trembling hand as he did his best to hit the dalinmn stick without getting his hand. 'Please be negative. . .oh Gods, please be negative." He prayed with his eyes closed as the dye began to darken before looking at the test, sliding down the wall with a heavy groan as he did. Two lines. . two fucking lines. "I am so Gods be damned FUCKED."

He picked up the phone, calling Dante with a soft sigh. "'Te. . .I'm pregnant. . and before you ask, yeah, it's yours, couldn't be anyone else's you're the only one who's had me THERE, so yeah, it's yours. I know ya gotta rescue your brother, but I thought you should know."

Dante had just arrived at the warehouse when he got the call from Reno, his face going sheet white as he listened to Reno. "Y-you are?" He had briefly entertained the idea of it while he was on his way there, but he'd shoved it aside, knowing that it would be bad, VERY bad if Reno WAS that way.

"...A-are you SURE it's mine? Oh..Yeah...that's right." He fought back a groan and nodded, though Reno couldn't see it. Fuckfuckfuck...I am SO fuckin' dead...

"Congratulations." Rude said bitterly, his face set in stone. "So it's for sure, then? You know if he is able to save Vergil, you DO know they will go off together, you understand that, right? And you and I will be the ones to take care of--this little business. I won't tell ANYONE, you know that, I hope you do--but--eventually--it's gonna be SEEN, it's gonna be NOTICED, Ren. And then what? How you--how WE--gonna HIDE this? We CAN'T --they are gonna call you in and you can't GO, and then what?"

He wanted to be KIND, knew he NEEDED to be, but fuck it was hard.

"I'll help you, Ren, anyway I CAN, but--I DON'T think we are gonna get away with it. It's--this was fucking RECKLESS. Damn it, if he just hadn't COME here."

"You think I don't know that, Rude?" His own tone was bitter, angry not at Rude but at himself, because of his own foolish actions. "I'm such a fucking idiot. .. I honestly didn't know I even COULD conceive, though. It was possible I was sterile. . .Gods, I wish I had been." There was a combination of fear and despair in that tone, and it was something that he knew he couldn't change now. What would the President say when he found out? Would he be able to hide it as long as he had to? So many questions that he had no answers to, and so many he likely never would.

"M'fuckin' scared, ok? But it's not completely Dante's fault. I shoulda used m'fucking head insteada getting drunk the way I did. I shoulda, but I didn't, and this is what happened because I was an idiot. I gotta finish getting ready for work, I'll deal with this situation more when I get home." Reno had some coffee and breakfast and shrugged his jacket up over his slender shoulders, very soon ready to head to work. "Just hope the old man doesn't go through m'phone records today."

"You're right, it really ISN'T all Dante's fault. The one who can't take the rain needs to cover up, take the precautions, right? You-- ah--forget it."

What COULD he say, really? He opened the door and headed out, at a loss, really. "I hope he gets to Vergil before SOLDIER finishes this the hard way." And of course, if Dante GOT there at the wrong time, his life might very well be forfeit too--he would almost certainly die fighting to save his brother--fuck, what a goddamned MESS.

If only VERGIL had stayed fucking NORMAL.

Dante could hear the sounds of others around him as he crouched near the doorway, picking the lock on the door so he could slip in. He could SENSE Vergil, knew he was INSIDE, therefore, he needed to get in and get OUT before anyone else could get him. "Honey...I'm home." He muttered, slipping inside, looking around. He would FIND Vergil...and he had plans. Plans that no one knew about, plans that would probably make everyone start looking for his mind, since it would appear to them as if he'd lost it.

Yamato lashed out of nowhere, as the young master swordsman stepped out of the shadows. The blade had purposefully missed Dante's face by perhaps a half inch--

"You should not have come here, Dante. I left for a reason--and you still do not seem to understand. They are looking for me--I heard the SOLDIER on the phone with you that morning--and I had hoped you would leave well enough alone."

He looked at his brother, and for a moment--ONLY a moment--and his eyes and voice seemed to soften. "Dante. Don't you understand yet? I have something I must do--and you will only get in the way. I--will return when I am FINISHED, when it is complete, I had--HOPED you would GRASP that. But you must LEAVE me, go now. They are looking for me, and they seek my death. Would you die at my side, for no reason? How utterly romantic. But I will not allow it. Now LEAVE me!"

"Fuck!" Dante jumped back a good two feet, blinking at Vergil as he did so. "Goddamnit, don't you realize I'm trying to keep you fucking SAFE? You DON'T get it, do you?" He snarled, pulling out Ebony. He'd left Force Edge at home, having decided that he wouldn't NEED it, but he'd grabbed his beloved guns. "I don't WANT them to kill you, you fuckin' moron, and that's EXACTLY what they're gonna do if they get HOLD of you."

He growled, aiming Ebony at Vergil once again. "This scene is familiar..." He pursed his lips and narrowed his gaze at Vergil. "Damnit Verg, I love you too and I don't want you to get killed over some stupid shit like this." He didn't have to hear Vergil SAY the words, he just had to see the look, to HEAR that tone, and he KNEW.

"You love me, so you aim a gun at me? I fail to see even your weak logic, here, Dante. But I don't have time for this, get out of the way--I need to LEAVE--Dante, I can read you like a book--you are planning on shooting me to the point of unconsciousness--carrying me OFF somewhere, the knight in shining armor--you fool, it's NOT our fairy tale, alright? Just MOVE aside--I don't want to have to hurt you--there's no reason to do so now--I will FIND you when I am READY for you, and I am not ready NOW--"

He batted away the gun's aim with Yamato, trying to get past Dante--who had the audacity to BLOCK him still.

There was the sound of engines as the SOLDIER contingent approached, and Vergil pressed forward again, getting angry.

"Dante, I don't have TIME to play, MOVE ASIDE!"

"You love ME, yet you curse me, try to kill me, threaten me with Yamato and LEAVE me? And I get told I have weak logic? Verg, seriously, have you ever listened to yourself talk?" Dante rolled his eyes, not even waiting for Vergil to reply before he struck out, catching his brother in the side of the head with Ebony. "...nighty-night time, Verg, I gotta keep you from doin' somethin' stupid."

He could hear the approach of the SOLDIERs getting closer, and he half-expected to see Sephiroth himself come inside, since the man seemed to have a strange attraction--or rather a fatal attraction, for Vergil.

"God, have you gained weight since you left? You're fuckin' heavy as Hell..." He muttered, hoisting Vergil over one shoulder, carrying him out one of the side doors, away from the side where the men were approaching.


	10. Chapter 10

Reno set his lunchbag on the table, getting ready to place it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator where he always put it when the phone rang with the shrill sound of an incoming text message. "That was Tseng. Old man wants me for something, I should probably go see what." Inside, he was deathly nervous, though he wasn't about to admit that to Rude. For once actually afraid of the consequences of his own actions. He didn't dare say anything else either, because if this was about what he was sure it was about he could dig himself an even deeper hole by saying it out loud.

Instead he shook his head and walked out of the break room, heading for the President's office. "I'll be back in a few minutes and tell ya what's up, Rude, I promise. I gotta go see to this before the President comes down here huntin' for ME though, 'cause if he has ta do that I know he is gonna be VERY unhappy, and I don't wanna deal with him when he's really unhappy if I can avoid it."

Jack merely smiled as Reno walked in, a scary sight in and of itself when coming from him, a sight that NO ONE wished to see. "Good, you DID come and I didn't have to track you down." He watched as Reno merely slouched inside the doorway, not moving to sit down, and certainly not showing him MUCH due respect. "You are likely wondering why I called you in--Take a seat, Reno, this will take me a while to get through."

He pulled out the ShinRa Code of Conduct novel booklet and slapped it down in front of the redhead, noting the look on his face already. "I believe you are starting to get a rough idea, aren't you?" He smirked, flipping the book open to one of the dogeared pages, pointing about halfway down the page. "Now, read that, and tell me what it says."

_Chapter Fifteen, Section 4, subsection T, Paragraph 43._

_In addition to the No-Fraternization Rule stated above--regarding inter-office relationships, and within the TURK organization-- team members-- in place is also a rule concerning associates and imported help._

_It is noted that if you are caught consorting with an associate or such of ShinRa, the President reserves the right to decide punishment, depending on the level of indiscretion._

_Also, it is still considered an indiscretion if said person is not currently being employed by ShinRa for their services, as it can be assumed that any future jobs and/or missions can/will be compromised._

Jack grinned widely, and flipped the pages again, pointing to another paragraph. "And there is a section about bandying with those associated and/or related to current fugitives. Perhaps this will also pertain to you? Reno, I may not be the world's smartest man, but I assure you, I am NOT stupid, and I know what goes on with my employees."

"I was drunk, dammit. It never would have happened if I had been sober. How the HELL did you find out anyway?" Reno was squirming in his seat at this point, nerves making his hands tremble, showing his true age of 16 for the first time in a good while. "It's not like I advertised to anyone that Dante fucked me, so I really would love ta know how th'Hell you found out." He'd been SO very careful to keep it quiet, so careful, and it had not done him a damn bit of good. "so what else is it you know, and what are ya gonna do about it?"

He was suddenly more than a little afraid that Jack knew about the baby too, and could already feel the STRONG recommendation for a termination coming his way. He felt almost like someone's teen daughter that had gotten caught with the school punk in his car during prom with her skirt above her head. Reno did NOT want to give up his baby all of the sudden, despite the responsibility which came with it. His gut was twisting on itself with nerves as he sat there and waited for Jack's answer.

"Tell me what punishment you're gonna give, sir, so I can get back ta work. . .I have a fucking fugitive to hunt down." His body was stiff, but he was prepared to deal with whatever punishment was doled out now. Een if he did feel like throwing up on the President's expensive Costan marble tile.

Jack grinned even wider, pointing to the doorway. "You have done well, Agent Tarshil. All of this came to light on a good day, which has left me with the urge to be kind. Yes, yes, I know, what a surprise, aye?" He stood, making sure to catch Reno's eye before he let the teenager walk out the door.

"Do not disappoint me, Tarshil, or else I may change my mind. I could very easily dole out a harsh punishment, one that would include the termination of the child that has resulted from your negligence, as well as that damnable half-devil. Consider yourself lucky, and go do as Tseng has told you."

Reno nodded, "Thank you sir, thank you, you have been very kind." and with that he turned and nearly FLED the office at a run. His legs were trembling as he fled down the hallway, thanking whatever divine force was in control of the universe that he had escaped the fate he had feared that day. Not realizing just how much more entangled the temporary stay of execution would make things down the road, not that he could have really, not then.

That stay had started the second portion of his own life, just as the insanity in the house the next town over had started another stage in the life of the father of his child. And lacking the wisdom of experience Reno could not even realize that, nor could he realize that in later years he might have chosen to take this choice back if he had known what it would cost. For now he was simply glad that his own life and the life of the child he harbored within had been spared.

"Rude, oh fuck, he KNOWS. Knows about Dante. . .about the baby. . about all of it, FUCK! He's not gonna make me abort, like I was afraid he would, but I know he's gonna be watchin' me closer even than he was before now." The words were spoken as he walked back into the break room, body trembling both from the close call and from the exertion of running pell mell back to the break room to clue his partner in

"HOW does he know, Reno, WE barely know!!" Rude seized Reno's arms as he came in, his face stern, shocked, horrified. "He's tapping the lines, all the lines, and that means--"

_That means he knows Cloud Strife called and WARNED me--to warn Dante._

_To go to Vergil, to save him--and --that's practically--TREASON--and it IS insubordination._

"Reno, I think--this isn't over yet, by a long fucking shot. Let's just leave it there, I --ain't gonna SAY anything else, motherfuck, he's probably got a wiretap up my fucking ASSHOLE. Reno, I --" FUCK, he couldn't even TALK in any privacy now--how the HELL were they supposed to have a LIFE?

And what had he SEEN--HEARD- at their place?!

"Reno, this is the SHITS."

"I bet that's exactly what he did." Reno sounded almost dull-voiced as he said it, shaking his head. "Bastard sure as fuck has OUR number, doesn't he?" He could almost FEEL the trouble to come in his bones, and it was going to be bad. ..damn bad, and he just knew it. He had no idea what it would mean for the future, how bad it was going to get over the years, but for now he was simply glad to have gotten out of there unpunished.

Of course if the old man had any idea what at least one of the two partners was thinking, they likely both would have been executed on the spot. He did not, and that was a fortunate thing for now. "We gotta figure out what to do from here, Rude. . .I don't know yet, fuck I don't know, and it's scaring the FUCK outta me. Old man's on our asses, and Vergil is still OUT there."

Groggy and dizzy, Vergil awakened to the smells of old dampness and mildew, the scampering of distant creatures in long abandoned places, and the sight of Dante sitting across from him, bare chested, looking somehow unusually dangerous.

Looking--

--why was he smiling--like that.

"Dante, what--" Trying to move his arm, Vergil felt the sharp bite of a shackle into his wrist--and he realized: he was bound, arms behind his back, sitting here in the midst of a cold, dimly lit--somewhere.

Dried blood was on his lip, and he licked it off absently. "Where are we? What the hell are you up to? Look, let's talk about this, brother, you always like to talk, so we can talk, alright? I don't think you really under--"

In the flash of a moment, Dante had impaled him with Yamato in the chest, all the way through, and Vergil choked on the sudden blood of the internal injury, now welling up inside him like a crimson fountain. Gasping, he groaned in the savage pain, and watched in shock as Dante yanked the blade free, and then--slashed across his belly with it--his voice was TORN from him in pain--and then Yamato was cast almost casually aside, in favor of Alastor, now driven into his midsection viciously. Howling in agony, Vergil struggled, now desperate to get free--and it was IMPOSSIBLE.

Dante was--

Dante was--no--couldn't be.

He was SMILING.

_Keep holdin on, when my brain's tickin' like a bomb. Cuts the black, cocks the gun...up in to get me._

_Sweet bitter words, unlike nothing I have heard. Sing along mocking bird, you don't effect me._

_That's right, deliver it to my heart. Please try, and deliver it._

"Oh, oh NOW you want to talk?" Dante merely smiled as he walked in a half-circle around Vergil, eyeing him, disregarding the look of astonished pain on his twin's face. "Now you wanna talk? Huh? NOW I'm GOOD enough for you to talk to? No, I'm sorry, the time for TALKING was OVER six months ago when you LEFT me, when I BEGGED you not to leave me."

He shook his head, "There ain't much TO talk about now ANYWAY. You left me, high and dry, didn't tell me where you were goin', what you were doin', or WHY you were doin' any of it. I-- that fuckin' HURT, seeing you just WALK away from me like that, and here you are, wantin' to TALK about it? I should just leave you right where you are, let the creepy-crawlies come feast on your squirming, screaming body... I SHOULD, I really SHOULD, but I won't."

He stopped, angered-dark violet eyes locking onto the PAINED ones of this brother. "I'm so fuckin' PISSED at you right now, it ain't even funny...but you know what?" He laughed, shaking his head, "I can't HATE you. As much as I WANT to...I can't fuckin' hate you."

Nauseated from pain, Vergil fought it off, and glared at Dante, the old fire coming back, wisdom and coldness far past anything an eighteen year old should be feeling --or CAPABLE of.

"You bastard. How dare you DO this to me, and then claim to have some sort of justification--at what point have I TORTURED you, Dante? Have I ever stabbed you and smiled over it? What the fuck is going on inside that pinhead of yours, anyway? You see, THIS is why I say you can't HANDLE the power I seek--you CAN'T--you're like an angry child, willing to go berzerk if you don't get your way."

Dante was--

son of a bitch, he was making Vergil afraid.

VERY, very, very afraid.

"Let me loose, stop HURTING me, I don't think that will help our relationship, and I will talk with you NOW, we can try to figure things out. Alright? Spilling my blood, hearing me cry out in pain has probably made you feel like a big man, hasn't it? You have had your fun, little brother. Now let me loose, and we can talk this out."

He was shaking, and he did NOT want Dante to SEE that.


	11. Chapter 11

_Wait, I'm coming undone. Irate, I'm coming undone. Too late, I'm coming undone. What looks so strong so delicate? _

_Wait, I'm starting to suffocate. And soon I anticipate, I'm coming undone._

_What looks so strong so delicate?_

"Bastard!? FUCK you, Vergil, fuckin' FUCK you!" Dante snarled, the smile leaving his face completely as he dropped to his knees, getting in Vergil's face, his weight RESTING heavily on the blade embedded in his twin's stomach. "Don't you fuckin' GET IT? Torture ain't just this, this ain't NOTHIN' compared to the SHIT I went though when you left, you ain't got a damn IDEA of what you leavin' DID to me!"

He TWISTED the blade, sneering as he did so, not seeming to care about the SCREAM it wrought from the other. "Pinhead? Angry CHILD? What about YOU? Huh!? You're the one with all these stupid ass fuckin' ideas about power, world domination, and you say I'M the fuckin' KID? How fuckin' DARE you!?" He twisted the blade again, almost DELIGHTING in the screams. "You don't have a fuckin' RIGHT to judge me after what you did! You LEFT me, Vergil, just walked the FUCK away, and didn't even look BACK!"

He moved away when Vergil started throwing up from the pain, the anger leaving his eyes, the veritable storm-cloud above his head dissipated. He was trembling, harshly, and he backed even further away, his back hitting the wall behind him finally, his legs giving out, sending him sliding to the floor with a hitched sob. "You don't GET it... half a FUCKING year, Vergil--Six months of fucking pure ANGUISH, pain and SUFFERING, all because of YOU. You LEFT me, somethin' that never shoulda happened, but you got alla those damn IDEAS in your fuckin' head, and off you went, leavin' ME behind, leavin' ME to be nothin' but a broken fuckin' mess, wondeirng if you were gonna come back or NOT." The blade clattered to the floor next to him, having been removed as he retreated across the room.

Vergil's eyes were dulled in the agony, as he looked to Dante in a sort of awestruck utter horror.

"You're...crazy..." His voice was a broken ruin after the screaming raw, his nose running small rivers of blood from the massive stress, throat thick with bloody mucous. With a rattling cough, he spat out clotted gore, and this time, he was careful to not lick his lips.

"Dante, you--really--hurt me--please-- what's happened-- to you--" He needed water, his lungs were burning, everything hurt so DAMNED much. When Dante had TWISTED the blade inside him, bright sparks of pain had exploded in a clarity he hadn't thought possible. His thigh was wet, most likely blood--he was soaked in it, drenched, sticky with it. Vergil's body struggled to heal itself, succeeding--but--

it wasn't blood on him, down there.

He had come, and not even realized it, when the second twisting had happened, the shrieking horror had masked the deepseated, utterly SICK physical bliss.

And so began the second part of their relationship.

_Choke, choke again._

_I thought my demons were my friends._

_Pity me._

_In the end,_

_They're out to get me._

Dante looked over at Vergil with dull, clouded eyes. "Crazy? Fuck, I am, I know it... but YOU started it. You...you don't GET it, you HAVE to get it!" His voice was choked, clogged with tears, closing up tightly because of the restraint it took to keep from letting the tears fall. "It's your fault, it's MY fault... we're both sick, fuckin' twisted SICK freaks, and this just fuckin' PROVES it." He could smell the underlying scent of semen under the blood. He shook his head at that, not even mentioning it.

_Since I was young, I tasted sorrow on my tongue. And this sweet jerky gun, does not protect me._

His eyes slid closed as he shifted, moving across the floor once again so that he could sit next to him, one hand reaching to tangle in the sweat-matted white locks that fell so haphazardly across the pale, heated face. "Damnit, Vergil...just.. why can't you GET that you HURT me?" The fingers tightened, pulling harshly on the thick white hair.

That all you GOT?!

He heard the faint whisper, his eyes snapping open as he stared in shock and anger at Vergil. "...You just don't know when the FUCK to stop, do you?"

_That's right. Trigger between my eyes. Please try, make it click now._

Violet eyes took on a deep hint of crimson, his fingernails elongating into deadly claws as he tilted Vergil's face up to look at his, hoping the older one could SEE the rage in his eyes. His teeth bared, fangs elongating as he spoke in a barely audible hiss. "Two can play that game, Vergil. You wanna be a stubborn fuckin' bastard, I can be too." He reached his other hand out to the JUST barely healed stomach wound, gouging it roughly as he waited to hear the screams.

"Wonder who's gonna break first."

_Wait, I'm coming undone. Irate, I'm coming undone. Too late, I'm coming undone..._

_What looks so strong so delicate?_

_Wait, I'm starting to suffocate. And soon I anticipate, I'm coming undone._

_What looks so strong so delicate?_

Pain blossomed up in raw starbursts behind his eyes, but Vergil fought back the desire to plead for mercy, something that was extraordinary in itself for him.

Dante's now clawed fingers were sinking inside the hurting wetness of the now reopened wound, sinking in deeper and deeper, and then--there was a spectacular cataclysm of pain, as those wicked claws flexed inside, the sensations almost unreal in their magnitude. His voice failing him, hoarse and used up, Vergil made a strange wailing sound of pure demonic misery.

"Dantestopstop..."

Vergil wasn't really SURE he could take this, it was getting too wild, too severe, and even his nerves were starting to shatter and break now. And yet in his madness, in the insane rut of hellish punishment, he heard himself whisper sharply to his brother, driving him on, seeing--

how far they could go.

How much farther could they go, what could he TAKE? What could Dante take doing to him?

Had to know.

Had to find out.

"dante."

"you."

"fail."

Gasping for the breath to hurl his own death warrant, or what would nearly be.

"When does the torture...start dante?...when...will you show me...what you got...is this the best...you can DO?...always knew...you...didn't have it...in you...weakling..."

Mind racing, Dante let out a growl and twisted his clawed fingers around Vergil's insides. What was his brother THINKING? Was he really inciting this? Was he SERIOUS about making Dante go even FURTHER over the edge than he already had?! This--this WAS insane, and they couldn't STOP it!

"You--I-- ARGH, Vergil, just shut UP! GODS, why can't you DO that?! This would all be DONE with if you could just keep that BIG mouth of yours SHUT." He withdrew his hand and eyed the blood running down it, down his arm, dripping off onto the floor. Tentatively, he licked at it with the long tongue, his wings rustling behind him as he tasted the thick, coppery tang. Suddenly, his eyes shifted BACK to Vergil, and his hand was replaced with Alastor, the blade digging deep once again. "You want more? You're gonna GET more."

He grabbed Yamato as well, and thrust the blade into the pale chest, though THAT blade was pulled out just as quickly and laid to the side, his hand reaching into the wound to gently caress the rapidly beating organ within the ribcage. "I could KILL you with one small movement... but I won't." He smirked, teasing at the aorta. "You don't deserve death...it wouldn't be right to kill you when you didn't kill me... you just simply HURT me... and demon law IS an eye for an eye, it wouldn't be FAIR to kill you when you didn't kill me."

Vergil DID, at least, shut up now--for now--because when Dante's hand replaced the agony of the cleaving blade, something happened, something seemed to well up in his chest as the heart was actually TOUCHED--actually stroked--by what was essentially his soulmate for eternity. And it would CHANGE Vergil forever, in ways so deep he would not even be aware of them.

_The touch._

_Oh god, he's touching my heart, in the most literal way possible--it feels--_

_feels--_

A sudden and almost surreal detonation seemed to happen, Vergil's long body shaking convulsively as Dante held on with that gentle grasp, clawed fingers tenderly caressing the most vulnerable of all organs, the life-seat, the hard pumping giver of mortal incarnation. It was unbearable, but it was not pain. It was, really, the very opposite of pain --a pure and polar OPPOSITE, on all levels.

It was not even ecstasy, though it was of that ilk--it was farther along the scale of experience and sensation. Much farther, much mightier.

Vergil's entire body arched upwards slowly, in the thrall of not a physical but a SPIRITUAL, a SOUL orgasm, a climax of the inner being, the true seat of his consciouness and being itself. There were no words, no SOUNDS to express such a thing, only the look of utter rapture, the eyes blazing, the lips opening silently and then closing--beyond the realm of the mortal, beyond all at this moment.

How long it lasted, he did not know, he knew nothing at all at first. Dimly aware that Dante was still there, but he could not see, nor could he hear.

All was radiance.

All was peace.

Out of the bloody horror, had come the greatest and highest experience of his existence. Vergil would never be the same again, and nor would anyone in his orbit.

When Vergil's body started to tremble; then convulse, Dante waited just a moment, stroking the nearly FRANTICALLY beating organ still, before he backed off a bit, his hand still inside, idly running long, clawed fingertips over the soft, slick muscle. He was fascinated by what was happening to his brother, crimson eyes half-lidded with lust-laden interest stared at the shuddering body, a faint feeling of pure, unadulterated pleasure and sensual eroticism in the very back of his mind making his own body tremble slightly, though he had NO earthly idea of just how much his brother was feeling at that time.

What struck him the most--really, it nearly stunned him stupid-- was that despite the look of sheer pleasure on Vergil's face... his lower half was surprisingly devoid of any fresh coatings of sticky release. In fact, he CRAVED the feeling that his brother was obviously enjoying, his body yearning to KNOW what it was that had made this exact moment so damn GOOD for his twin.

Leaning forward, he used a claw to unlock the shackles containing his twin's slim, red wrists, nudging insistently at Vergil as he did so. "Show me... Vergil, show me what you felt, make ME feel it..." He murmured.

Eyes opening very slowly, Vergil looked deeply drunken, his voice raw still, words slurred.

"Can't. Explain."

Trembling, he pushed Dante against the wall, so that he was sitting there with his back against it--the gaping wound in his own chest was closing fast, and he took Dante's hand, thrusting it back inside with a sharp cry. "Stay inside me." The spoken words were sultry, painfully sensual, and Yamato was taken up then, Vergil straddling Dante, facing him.

His brother's hand again in his chest cavity, slowly heading back upwards again.

"Not yet."

For what seemed like an endless moment, their eyes locked, and then Vergil moved forward to catch Dante's lips in a teasing--and then deeper--kiss. "Lean back against the wall."

He brought Yamato up, and then down, cutting open the breastbone with one powerful stab-slash of the Okatana, and then dropped the sword, using his bloodied hand to open it up fully, as Dante moaned in pain. "Trust me."

_Trust me._

His long hand snaked inside, until he found the hot, throbbing organ he sought--breath catching in the haze of love and want, his fingers gently began to caress, teasing the aorta and the arteries, trailing down one nail across the pulsing muscle itself--noting every nuance of the heart, sinking again into the thick fog of this almost holy ritual.

"Match me."

Needed Dante to touch him again.

Needed...

to merge, to meld.

To unite.

This was FOREVER, and he knew it. Did Dante understand? He thought he just might...


	12. Chapter 12

Ecstasy.

Agony.

"Dante. this, ohhhh. binds us. know. that. it binds us. forever." Dante's fingers caught his heart again, and just before his own vision dulled in ecstasy, he saw his brother's beautful face begin to take on the same blissful look of rapture.

Dante let out a choked sound as he felt his brother's hand reaching inside of him. The feeling of the blade had been enough to draw a whimpered groan from him, but this feeling of being entered in a way that he'd never really imagined before this moment... it was different, but not in a bad way, not at ALL, this was most definitely something delightfully different. "N-no need..." He gasped, his head falling back when he felt the long fingered hand gently move across his now erratically beating heart. He could feel his limbs starting to tremble like Vergil had, his toes beginning to CURL with the intensity of the feelings coursing through him.

His own fingers moved in a steady rhythm over Vergil's heart, tracing the faint lines that separated the different chambers, moving up to gently caress the arteries that stemmed from the lifeblood-pumping organ. One long digit curled around the aorta, stroking the artery in such a way that could have been described as sensual, though the half-demon felt as though it was simply another way to become close--to BOND with his brother in a way that they never had.

His breath was coming in shorter, harsher pants now as he leaned his head forward once again, resting his head against his twin's shoulder in an awkward-yet-comfortable-to-him manner. "God...V-vergil... f-feels--" He hissed, unable to finish his sentence coherently. This was just INCREDIBLE, something he hadn't foreseen happening, though it was decidedly better than what he HAD had planned. He let his mouth fall open, leaning in to haphazardly mash their lips together, not caring that it was--honestly-- the most graceless and sloppy kiss that they had ever shared, barring their first kiss, though twelve year olds weren't known for their sexual prowess, generally.

He could feel what Vergil had felt, the pleasure and sweet pain intense enough that any and all thoughts of physical arousal were drained from his mind, his length remaining utterly flaccid throughout the incident.

Vergil moaned into Dante's ear, and then there was the strong, really irresistable need to --to--

to what?

They were touching one another's hearts, the sensations sending violent currents of psychic pleasure through their spirit-selves, the experience really almost too much to bear, too much to endure. Vergil's spine had shock waves racing down it, and there were the deep shudders again, light convulsions almost--something more needed to happen, there was the sense of a hunger, something unsatisfied, even in the midst of utter paradise, there was more to come--

--needed it--

With a soft, almost sobbing cry, Vergil pressed forwards, his fingers taking hold of Dante's heart and moving it in the chest cavity, with the GREATEST of care--one mistake, and he would die, REALLY die--and his fingers would then clench tightly, ending Vergil's life as well--and that would be the way Vergil would DESIRE it to go, then--but carefully--so VERY carefully--seeing how much he could pull it without tearing, and then crushing their opened chests together.

"together. press, them. together. now. carefullycarefullycarefully--"

His voice was a delicate whimper, but crystal clear.

And when the two organs touched, they began to beat as ONE, and Vergil felt himself falling backwards, unconsciousness FINALLY claiming him, as the infernal sacrament of total union came for them both--never to be destroyed.

"Look, we cant even TALK here. Shit--look--ah HELL--come on, let's go outside, at least, probably won't make a difference, if I really DO have a wiretap up my ass, right? But let's try, anyfuckingway. Come on, just out here, at least out of this fucking breakroom." Rude just shook his head, leading his partner out of the building itself.

They headed on down, and finally walked out in the main front courtyard, Rude taking out his smokes and offering Reno one, and then lighting one up himself. "Motherfuck. This is some BAD shit. And I don't know what to DO, Red. I really don't. I'd--" His voice lowered conspiratorially, and he lowered it drastically.

"I'd almost say to just fucking LEAVE, to be honest, Reno. Just the two of us--I--" BALK, BALK.

_TELL HIM!!_

"I mean, I'm worried about you--you're--my best friend--I CARE, okay?"

God dammit, Reno. . stop being such a pussy. . .open your damn MOUTH! He nodded, but he trembled, just the tiniest bit as the moment seemed almost to FREEZE. SOMETHING had changed, something, and he had no idea what yet, as he pinned Rude's eyes through the dark glasses, wanting to say something, but at the same time afraid to, afraid that if he did he would DESTROY the moment that seemed more fragile than a blown glass butterfly. Not that he would want me, anyway, I'm going to give birth to another man's child. Soiled, tarnished, used goods. Why would he? His lips parted slightly as he continued to just HOLD that eye contact, not wanting this one precious moment to end.

Then, when the muscles in Rude's neck shifted and he was almost sure the bigger man was going to turn away, he took a deep breath that almost became a whimper at the very end of it, and the magic of it seemingly dropped away, leaving him feeling shaken and empty, yearning, but he was not sure just what for. He had no idea that just at that very moment Dante had consummated something that would bind him to Vergil for the rest of his existence, there was no way he COULD know. Then, the moment faded away completely, and that trembling yearning was buried down deep again as he took the first puff off the cigarette Rude had given him.

"I dreamed of it once, you know? Dreamed of being away from ShinRa? But where would I go, anyway? What would I do? I don't know anythin' else but bein' a Turk or sellin' myself. That's all I know how ta do. I dreamed of bein' a pianist, though. When I was a kid. .. it was all I wanted ta do. But that dream died like most dreams of childhood do, so here I am" A soft chuckle sounded. "Here I am, carryin' the baby of a man I know is never gonna love me the way I'd wanna be loved. God, so fucking ironic. ..life just fucking SUCKS."

_Oh, the red strokes_

_Passions uncaged_

_Thundering moments of tenderness rage_

_Oh, the red strokes_

_Tempered and strong_

_Burning the night like the dawn..._

The sudden skipped-beat of his heart nearly took Dante's breath away, though it was nothing compared to the intensity of the exact moment that he and Vergil's hearts began to beat as one, the sheer passion that thrummed through his veins at that moment in time ACTUALLY stealing the very breath from his lungs, leaving him with a tightly closed throat, though he honestly could have died at that moment and felt like he had fulfilled exactly what he'd NEEDED to.

Slowly, his breath returned to him, though the deprivation left him with a red face and a heaving chest as he rested against Vergil, the throbbing organ still held gently between his white fingers. This...this was simply indescribable, no words could POSSIBLY do justice to what had just transpired.

_Steam on the window, salt in a kiss_

_Two hearts have never pounded like this_

_Inspired by a vision_

_That they can't command_

_Erasing the borders_

_With each brush of a hand_

He leaned in once more, pressing a soft kiss to Vergil's forehead before he allowed himself to give in to the darkness, carefully unwinding his hand before he accidentally ripped the tender organ free. "Love you... forever... mine-- YOURS--forever..." He murmured, almost incoherently as the sweet blackness enveloped his senses, rendering him as helpless as a young child.

_Oh, the blues will be blue and the jealousies green_

_But when love picks its shade it demands to be seen_

_Steam on the window, salt in a kiss..._

_...two hearts have never pounded like this..._

"Here I am, carryin' the baby of a man I know is never gonna love me the way I'd wanna be loved. God, so fucking ironic. ..life just fucking SUCKS."

"Reno, you made a mistake there, that guy --he--they--look, fuck, they ain't NEVER gonna change, okay? If Vergil dies today, there's a good chance DANTE will die with him, at his side-- they are different from us--and he was a BAD choice for a drunken LAY, really. He is going to go BACK to his brother, maybe now, maybe eventually. But he WILL."

And it was out, and he was sorry.

And it was too fucking LATE.

"Shit, I didn't mean it like that. Look, partner, I CARE about you, okay? Don't that mean enough? I'll--TAKE you away--TAKE you out of harm's way, Red. I ain't SHITTIN' you, I will, I'll--if you just would let me, get your mind off the studboy, I'll BE there--to help, I mean--Reno?--please?"

A nod, a slight smile, even though that smile had tinges of sadness. I was so sure. ..so sure, but I guess he doesn't feel the way I thought. "I know ya care, Rude, I know, and thanks for that. If I could run I would, but like I said, I don't know how ta do anything else." He shook his head, and began to get his things together to continue the hunt. They still had to find Vergil, they had to stop the madness he had in mind, keep their world from being DESTROYED. "I know he's gonna back to Vergil, not expecting anything of him but ta help raise his baby, that's all I'm gonna ask of him. He or she deserves to know their father, ya know."

He had been so very sure Rude was going to make a move, so sure, but the man had remained steadfastly stubborn about it. It seemed he only wanted to be friends, and Hell Reno could handle that, he just wished it were different. "Always be friends, no matter what, right?" He of course had no idea what was coming, nor how bad it would get. There was a storm coming in that would make him wish he'd run when he'd had the chance, that he had taken Rude up on his offer of protection if he chose to run.

He did take Rude's hand a squeezed gently for a moment before he got his things together and got ready for this mission he'd rather not have to see through.

When Reno squeezed his hand, Rude smiled at him, and a moment later added gently, almost under his breath, "This RULE they got, Red. It--it would mean a person's life--maybe, I dunno, I mean, we SEE what --he--is capable of now. So it wouldn't be worth throwing away your life--or--that wouldn't be--"

YEAH, it just might really BE worth it. "I think leaving was the best way to go, but I ain't gonna try to press you--"

_If he had wanted to run off with me, he would have been WILLING to at least think about that--and he pretty much blew it all off, straight away--so fuckit--I was right that I ain't no motherfucking DANTE Sparda--he's gonna stick around for him--and to be WITH him--there ain't no two ways about it--_

_Goddamn it._

Fucking white haired stud boy, fucking musclebound look-how-tanned-and-beautiful-I-am BASTARD, blue eyed lady-and-boy-killer motherfucker.

At that MOMENT--and never again--Rude HATED Dante, utterly hated him.

Two weeks had passed, and Vergil was still being bound on a regular basis, being let loose only for intermittant periods, and then once again the shackles would go on.

He was getting irritated as SHIT by it.

"LOOK, you don't trust me. I GOT that, brother. HUSBAND, I should say, now. But how long are we going to do this--and why do you seem to be hiding something--I can sense it, Dante, our hearts melded our souls together for all time, there IS no changing it. Is there something you want to TELL me?"

He waited and then finally LOST his patience.

"Damn it, DANTE, I know Reno is pregnant and I know it is yours. I HEARD that fucking call, I have excellent hearing, you really need to remember that, dear heart. So I saw that we needed this--to consummate our love, our eternity--and I pressed you ON when it was so clear you SNAPPED--at first I didn't even realize WHY--and then when I did, I knew it was the right thing. You are my HUSBAND, forever--and no CHILD created changes that. And I want to return to Hell, WITH you. I want to raise the Temen Ni Gru, WITH you. You are my mate now, not just my brother-lover. You HAVE to do these things with me, Dante."

"Gods, would you just shut UP?" Dante was getting annoyed at the bitching from Vergil, though he had grown USED to it long ago. "Look, Yeah, Reno's havin' my kid. It was a one night stand, he...he doesn't MEAN as much to me as you do, but I'm NOT goin' to Hell with you. I just CAN'T..." He looked nearly PANICKED as he said that. he wouldn't tell though...wouldn't tell why his time in Hell had always been so abbreviated after his first time down there. "I'm not stayin' 'causea HIM, or for the brat, but I can't go with YOU...there's...just...I can't...don't try to force me."

His eyes shifted to look out the window, "I love you, Verg, heart and soul, I'm yours, but I ain't gonna let myself be forced into somethin' I don't wanna do." He WANTED to go, Gods did he... but after that time... with that mysterious man... there was just no way in--well-- Hell, that he'd go BACK down there for a long period of time.

"DAHHNTAY! You --you MUST--and--never mind, never mind, you will see. " Dante leaned over him and he was FINALLY let loose for more than just a few minutes--well--he HOPED so--"DO NOT chain me again, it makes me very angry, Dante." Backing towards where Yamato was leaning in the corner, Vergil took it up, and simply sheathed it, seeing Dante watching his every move, keeping a close and rather weary eye on him.

"Dante."

He walked a few steps closer to the door.

"You are mine, heart and soul, NOTHING comes between us now, not anger or hatred or--or WHORING with someone else, you cheater. Don't you DARE imply you will have any connections to Reno because you RUTTED a human child on him! Don't you even imagine you have any ties there, you are MY MATE, MY HUSBAND NOW--just like--we SAID it would be, Dante. Remember? And now it's done--and you WILL follow me, even if I have to use PAINFUL persuasion on you. I warn you, DO NOT PRESS your luck on this!"

With that, he turned and kicked down the door, taking off for the Abyss, KNOWING Dante would follow.

HE HAD TO.

Son of a goddamn bitch.


	13. Chapter 13

Dante took OFF after Vergil, his reply simply fading on the tip of his tongue as he snatched up Rebellion and his guns, his ire growing with each and every step away from him that Vergil took. "God DAMN it!" He snarled, jumping on his bike just moments after Vergil had taken flight on the one he'd bought in preparation for their departure.

He could HEAR his brother ahead of him, but unluckily for Dante, the bikes were evenly matched, and already pushed to the limit, which meant he wasn't going to catch up unless Vergil slowed DOWN.

Reno walked in, plopping himself down on a stool two weeks after Dante had disappeared. He had seen Zack there, and he shook his head, frustration stiffening his frame with an intensity he didn't know he could possess. "Hey, Fair. . you look about how I feel." His voice was quiet, and he just plopped his chin in his hands. "Dante's been missing for two weeks now. .. I don't suppose I told you I'm pregnant with his baby, did I? Well, I am, and he's gone Gods only know where, and he hasn't even fucking CALLED, just let me fucking worry. . .and the guy I WANT ta have love me only wants ta be my friend. .. I fucking hate life."

Reno tapped the bar to indicate he wanted a shot of scotch, really not worried about the baby, who did after all have enough of the devil blood to not be harmed by the potent liquor. "My life fucking sucks, Zack.. . .it fucking sucks like Hell, and if I didn't have this fucking BABY inside me I'd probably just walk the fuck away from it. I can't though." He took that shot, and then tapped for another, sighing in that soft manner that spoke of severe frustration. "I wanna know what fucking God I pissed off to deserve this shit."

Zack barely looked up as Reno sat down next to him, "Sounds like both'a us are in the same boat. Up shit creek without a paddle." He muttered. "Pretty sure that the higher authorities are havin' too much fun screwin' with th' lives of us little folk, laughin' their asses off at our pain. Prob'ly get a kick outta watchin' us try ta figure out what we did ta piss'em off, when really, we didn't do anythin'." He knocked back another shot, sighing when Tifa shook her head at his request for another. "C'mon Teef... ya know I need it."

"Nothin' doin', Zack. You've been hitting the bottle a little TOO hard the past couple weeks, it's about time Momma Lockheart started weanin' you off of it. Red, you know I'll cut you off if you start gettin' rowdy, so you'd better hold yourself in if you want to get plastered enough to forget your problems for a while."

Waving Tifa off, Zack finally looked up and over at Reno, red-rimmed eyes roving over the redhead. "I WAS tryin'a waste away, but Teef keeps cuttin' me off... C'mon, let's commiserate tagether."

Reno nodded, sighing softly, not knowing what was coming all too soon, and he might have chosen not to do what he was about to do if he'd known. "Ya know, it just sucks, sucks hard core, how people treat other, it really does. And I know it sucks, I know it does, but what else can we do? All we can do is live our lives, right?" He dropped an arm over Zack's shoulder, not realizing that soon enough they'd be going to the one place the slender bartender had hoped never to see again, and he himself would rather not really.

"Ya wanna go to the hotel, Zack? I know it's probably not the best idea in the world of course, but I wanna talk to ya without everyone and their other brother gettin' in the way." He bought a bottle from Tifa and carried it out, knowing that a SOLDIER and a Turk would not get bothered about carrying a bottle on the street a bit.

The mako in Zack's system at least helped him be buzzed without the side effect of staggered walking. "Already got a room here... Teef got tireda me stayin' at the 7th all night, especially when I was gettin' a little too rough an' rowdy." He led the redhead to the elevator, pushing the glowing button for the sixth floor. "Don't even ask why I ain't called ta stay with anyone--I just... I don't want anyone ta know anythin's up with the three of us."

He unlocked the door and threw his keys onto the table next to the door, the room looking trashed, something that was actually unusual for the spike-haired man. His years in SOLDIER had conditioned him to being organized and tidy. "Jus' find a place and make y'self at home..."

"Looks like my parta Rude and I's apartment." Reno snorted at that, knowing how much Rude HATED that his bedroom looked like the demolitions expert had set off one of his BOMBS inside it. Reno was just MESSY though, and he always had been. He settled down next to Zack, though, taking another swig off the bottle of scotch. "I love Rude, ya know? I do. . .but he don't want anything more outta me than ta be friends and partners, and I ain't gonna push it. Ta lose him as a friend would be more'n I could bear."

Fathomless depths of brilliant mint met bright violet, Reno suddenly looking away with the intensity of the gaze that met his in return. "I don't know what ta do, Zack. ..I just don't, and I hate that. Ya know I hate being so fucking unsure of myself, I always have hated it. Now. . .FUCK, I just wish this fucking shit would END already."

Zack shrugged, "Gave up on tryin'a keep it clean..." He snatched the bottle from the redhead and downed a good fifth of it before handing it back, wiping at his lips. "I know how ya feel, I really, really do, Red. Shit...shit's gone fuckin' down hill since that night at the Seventh with you and Vergil, then General Sephiroth and Vergil." He knew that the use of Sephiroth's full title would get the redhead's attention.

"Don't even wanna go home, don't wanna go to work, don't wanna even LOOK at Cloud and him." He sneered, lip curling in disgust. "Don't wanna see him at all... wish he woulda just left shit alone..."

"Don't tell me. ..the bitch got with you like Vergil's liable ta get with me. . possessive, pushed your ass out." He shook his head. "Not that it was Dante I really wanted for a lover. . .It was a drunken one night stand that ended up in a baby, and I'm gonna be in a shitload o'trouble, I just know it. Old man don't like me bein' around you or Cloud or Seph either, and as for Seph, I got no idea WHAT the fuck is up with him, at all."

He let out a whimper as Zack began massaging his back and shoulders, as if he'd not even realized HOW tense he was up until that point. It felt WONDERFUL, truth be told, and he didn't want Zack to stop at all. "Man, Zack, that's wonderful. How'd you know I needed that?" The words were spoken in a nearly breathless tone as those green eyes slid to half mast, reveling in how good those skilled hands felt.

Zack smiled, letting his fingers knead the tension knots in Reno's shoulders. "Fuck everyone else. Really, I think that's th' only thing we c'n do. s'th' only way ta keep goin', ta keep ourselves from losin' it." He felt at ease with Reno, the soothing motions of the massage working wonders on his own mind as he thought about the way things were now.

"I miss'im. As much as I don't even wanna fuckin' see him or talk ABOUT him.. I miss him..." His voice cracked as he spoke, his eyes tearing up slightly. He hadn't talked to anyone, not even Tifa about what had happened, and he was still stinging from Sephiroth's words.

It wasn't that much later that Reno found himself curled up on Zack's chest, it had begun that way, simply two people sharing comfort with each other because the loves they WANTED wouldn't have them for reasons neither of them understood. "We'll help each other forget, just for tonight." the words were a bare whisper, but ones that he knew Zack would understand.

As the pale lips found their way up his neck he sighed in what could almost be labeled contentment. He had no idea how things were going ot get of course, he couldn't, and when he did find out, it would be messy. "You can have me if ya want, Zack. . .I don't mind." The smile was tremulous, the voice a bit shaky, but he meant every word now. Zack could have him if he wanted him.

Zack's large, calloused hands had already been running along the waistband of Reno's pants as they laid there, and at Reno's quiet words, he let his fingers dip below the fabric to gently caress the hidden treasure behind Reno's cock. Oh, he knew it was there, always had, because Zack was Zack, and he could scent that feminine musk from miles away.

"I'll help ya forget..." He leaned down, nuzzling into the pale neck, shifting around so that Reno was laying on his back, the SOLDIER hovering over the top of him. "...and you'll help me... s'what friends do, right?" The spike-haired man wasn't going to mention he'd always had that slight attraction for Reno, since he knew this wouldn't go any further past this night, and that they weren't compatible for a long term relationship. "Hopefully Baldboy wisens up some. He'd be an idiot ta not wanna be with ya."

A soft whimper sounded into the still air of the room as those long, calloused fingers touched in places only Dante had before, bliss creeping up his nerves. There wasn't LOVE there, of course, but there was pleasure there, and for this one night that was good enough. Enough to help him remember himself, enough to help him forget the Hell life had put him through. Then as that warm mouth began to slip down the slender body, his eyes slid closed as a shiver ran through him, mouth opening in a gasp.

One trembling arm went around Zack's neck as he began panting softly, whimpering as the lithe back arched, his body begging for more. Though it was Rude in his mind, in his heart, as he lay under the SOLDIER'S bulky frame. No shattering wails, no loud cries as he was pushed into by the Gongagan, simply soft panting little moans of pleasure as his eyes stayed closed, though he was proper enough not to speak the name that rang through his heart while he was being pleasured by someone else, for that would not do at all.

Empty pleasure in darkness, that was all it was, but it seemed neither of them really minded, so he wouldn't complain. Not tonight. "More.. .p-please. .more."

Zack was careful as he pushed into Reno, gasping at the tightness. It wasn't ALL that different than being with Cloud or Sephiroth, but he could tell the difference. Quietly, he continued the steady pace he'd started, the soft slapping of skin the only other sound in the room besides their light, panting breaths. No love was in this, really, not anything beyond a friendlove that stated he needed to do what he could to help mend his friend's pains.

Of course, he would try to be as proper as Reno, but the poor Gongagan would most likely slip, something that was inevitable really, with the depth of the love he shared with the other two. This night, in fact, would likely be what drove him back home, to at least try to work through things.

Besides, even with a SOLDIERs pension, he couldn't afford the hotel room much longer.

Reno just let it come, just let it roll over him, over his nerves, through his body, letting the sensations sweep through him as they would. He had no idea Zack would be gone in the morning, no idea what that mission would bring, or how it would shatter all of them and tear their friendships apart. With a gasping sob the twitching channel squeezed down around the SOLDIER as white effluence coated his chest and the sheets, before suddenly simply breaking down in the face of the realization that no matter how Zack tried, no matter how HE tried to forget, Zack was not Rude, and it was not what he wanted.

He ended up sobbing himself to sleep there on Zack's chest, not realizing his friend would be gone before he woke, and what that would bring. It would spell the beginning of the end for any peace of mind his life might have given him.

Sometime after he'd fallen asleep, Zack was woken up by his phone ringing itself off of the nightstand. "Mmmm'lo?" He heard Cloud's voice on the phone, and the panic ringing in it. "Shit, what? Calm down, babe, I'll be right there, then we can go, okay? Don't worry, it'll be fine." He sighed, hanging up, searching for his uniform in the midst of this mess.

It only took him a few minutes, then he went over, pressing a kiss to the redhead's forehead. "Thanks Red...and I'll see ya later." He left the key sitting on the table and slipped out the door, heading to a mission, one that he wasn't sure he wanted to go on.

Reno of course woke in the morning alone, the message flashing on his phone indicating that Rude had called him, a message that he had no idea now, and could not really, would change all of their lives forever. He groaned as he rolled over, picking his uniform up off the floor before climbing into the shower, letting the hot water wash the filth from his body, though it didn't touch the dirt in his soul, it couldn't.

The hotel room towel, a dingy gray that no amount of washing would ever turn white again, was slapped across the slender body just before he climbed into his uniform and headed home. He had NO idea what was coming, none at all, and that was nothing short of MERCY now.

Rude surveyed the destruction with a sad, horrified gaze-- this was-- something he might have seen Vergil doing really, but the great general, the Wutai war hero, the best and the brightest of all that SR's SOLDIERS had ever produced?

And--once--a friend, as well.

How many friends were they going to LOSE, he wondered, in a dull hatred for what had happened. So much had changed, and in ways that were almost truly unbelieveable. And now--cursing, he dialed Reno again, irritated and frustrated that the redhead didn't answer. He left a message with as clear details as he possibly could, finding it rather difficult to get the words out.

This was a nightmare, he reflected, not aware that Sephiroth was soon to go by this very name in dark notoriety.

Reno arrived at the staging area looking almost SHELLSHOCKED, almost unable to believe what he'd heard. He was here to hunt one of his best friends, and the order had been for an execution, but he sure as FUCK wasn't going to obey that order if he could avoid doing it. "You got the orders too? Fucking EXECUTION, what the FUCK is the bastard thinking? We're leading air support for a fucking MURDER, Rude. to say I am not a happy camper would be a major fucking understatement."

Reno had his emr strapped to his wrist, the breeze lifting the red strands as he looked around at the ruins of the town. "Gods, Seph. . .what the FUCK happened to you? We used ta fucking be FRIENDS, God dammit. . .what the Hell fucking went wrong, and why the fuck didn't we see it? " He shook his head wearily, climbing into the pilot seat of the chopper with a tired sigh. "Let's get this shit the fuck over with." Reno did NOT tell Rude about the encounter with the President prior to his departure, the threat for an enforced abortion, his baby's life in the balance if he did not obey this order. One that he knew would tear his soul apart.

"We're not doing it."

Rude's voice was soft and almost inaudible, but he knew Reno could hear him. "Zack's our pal, and we are not letting this happen, at least we got t' fucking TRY to save him and Cloud. We got to, Red, you already know that. I ain't bein' a part of killing a friend. But we can't let on, just follow my lead, and let's get in the air. Now."

They headed for the chopper, and saluted the SOLDIERS as if all systems were go. And then the big bird started, Reno handling the controls like the master he was already, even at this young age.

"We'll try to get between them and Zack, hopefully Cloud will be right there with him. That would make things a HELL of a lot easier--and once we get them we'll BLOW this popstand from Hades, right? You with me, Red? Come on, now we got a REASON to beat ALL reasons--saving friends--and that's got to take precedence--there AIN'T no way we can live with ourselves if we don't make a goddamned STAND, Reno!"

Reno nodded quietly. "I don't WANNA do this, I don't. Just wasn't sure how ta get OUTTA it." He did the preflight, starting the chopper with one twist. "Gonna hafta be careful about getting too close until we're absolutely sure we got enough room, or they'll pull the chopper down." The flight to the search area would be almost silent, the dislike of the situation they'd found themselves in almost palpable. Reno had never found himself hating someone before, but he suddenly hated Jack with a vengeance he'd never thought he would.

"If I could get away with killing the bastard I'd be damn fuckin' happy to do it, believe me. I've never hated anyone before, but I sure as fuck hate him. Oh my GOD do I fucking hate that son of a bitch. I hope he fucking chokes on his own filth and dies."

Cloud could hear Zack talking, but he couldn't make a damned bit of sense what he had said--and maybe the fogginess was a mercy.

He'd stopped sobbing over Sephiroth, stopped weeping over his family and friends in the now dead town, stopped--FEELING--anything at all. There was a dim and cruel memory of his blade--no, Zack's blade--?? -- being slid into Sephiroth from behind, and it was HE himself--CLOUD--that had held that weapon, and he had been cursing, crying, almost insane.

"...zack...zack whathappenedtoseph...baddreambad...reallybad..."

"...zack..."

Zack was kissing him on the forehead, and then on the lips, very gently. "...zacky?..."

As if he is saying goodbye, Cloud suddenly thought, afraid, but long, long minutes had already gone by, and he didn't SEE Zack now. "ZACK!!" He was screaming, but only in his mind--and the screams were heartwrenching, the sound of loss and agony, and there was no one to know.

He HAD, indeed, been saying goodbye.

Zack himself had--well, he hadn't stopped crying yet, and only because he knew what he needed to do, and he had to leave Cloud to be able to do it. He HATED the thought of leaving the fucked up little SOLDIER there, but he needed to get away, to get them back...well, he wasn't sure WHERE they could go. The old man likely wanted them dealt with, probably thought THEY were the reason his prized SOLDIER General had gone mad, which really... he wasn't sure that they WEREN'T the reason he'd lost his marbles.

"M'sorry... I love you, Gods, I love you Cloud... I'm gonna get us OUT of here..." He limped away, CLOUD'S blade in his hand, unable to bring himself to even TOUCH his own blade at the moment. He was sore and aching from the various experiments that Hojo had managed to do on him and Cloud both in the few days they were there, but he pushed on, knowing that they weren't safe there.

He couldn't sleep anyway, even if he wanted to, just to get a little rest. He'd been wide awake for days now, every time his eyes drifted shut for longer than a few seconds, the screams of the villagers, the laughter--the LAUGHTER of his lover as he decimated the town, the low, rumbling voice as Sephiroth spoke to he and Cloud when they had tried--well, HE'D tried to talk him down-- rang through his thoughts, making him UNABLE to sleep.

He could still see that damn wing that had come out; the brilliant shine that had hit his eyes when the firelight danced across the feathers. What he would have seen as a thing of beauty before had been nothing but a despairing nightmare, something that he felt would haunt the rest of his life--even his afterlife.

With a sigh, he set off, looking, hoping to spot a truck or a transport of some kind to hitch a ride on, maybe even find a place to hide out for a while until they could figure out what to DO.

Finally staggering to his feet, Cloud tried valiantly to stand up, and failed--crashing to the ground in a wave of immense dizziness. "Zack, fuck, come back okay, Zack?"

Cloud wasn't worried about himself--he could handle it--okay, he really couldn't handle it right now--but it was Zack that FELT like he was in the gravest danger, and that sent shivers down the young SOLDIER's spine. Trembling, he got back up--and he could just barely make out the tiny dot on the horizon--Zack, god let that be Zack! Cloud was losing track of time, and he knew it--he'd black out for a time, and then come back to himself--having no real idea how long had gone by.

It happened again, and now the vanishing pinpoint was gone.

He began to run, falling and then getting back up.

"ZACK--OGOD--DONT--DONTGO!!"

"There he is --up ahead--fuck where is CLOUD--look--shit fuck MOTHERFUCK--there's a whole cock knocking CONTINGENT up there Reno, they--they SET us ALL up!" Oh shit, that was an understatement, wasn't it?

There was a whole fucking battalion, and poor Zack was trapped--"Take it down slow and easy, I'm gonna hope and pray Zack SEES that we are trying to help him--fuck --if he JUST had his cell phone--do you think theres a chance??" There had to be--and he dialed the old number in a frantic NEED to reach Zack, to SAVE him, oh fuck they had to save him. If Zack died in front of them, THIS close to being reached, it would do something to him, and he figured it would do even MORE to Reno, really.

"Please have the cell, please ANSWER the cell, Zack..."

"Come ON..." Zack was quickly running out of energy, the sunlight sapping it away with each step he took. "Just... one truck, car, ANYTHING." He sighed, aborting the attempt to run his hand through his hair, the sticky mass unmoving. He vaguely recalled feeling like something had been messed with on his head, but he knew no hair was missing, so he wasn't sure WHAT had been done.

He was unaware of the eyes watching him, though the low throb of the chopper blades nearing him made him nervous. Hazy violet eyes looked around, hoping to get a ride soon, VERY soon. "Come on... please, ANYONE...help me..."

"Target Acquired. Will be within sniper range shortly. Stand by for the Termination tenfour."


	14. Chapter 14

_We walk the narrow path Beneath the smoking skies Sometimes you can barely tell the difference Between darkness and light_

Reno was tapping his fingers against the dash, biting his lip with the force of his nerves as he got into position. "Come on you sons of bitches, get the FUCK outta my way!" To say he was not happy with this turn of events would be a massive understatement, as Reno watched the five First Class SOLDIER and the entire battalion of grunts creeping up on Zack at this point. "Mother FUCK this sucks like a 3 gil whore." He couldn't get low enough to drop the ladder without getting swarmed by them.

_Do you have faith in what we believe? The truest test is when we can not When we can not see_

He watched the attack begin, Zack fighting the soldiers bravely, even making some of them shoot each other but there were so many. How long could he last? That was a question he didn't have an answer to right now. He tapped his leg now, watching for an opening, growling when he couldn't GET one. "Mother FUCK, MOVE it, you fucking idiots!" Nerves had become straight up FEAR for his friend now as he saw Zack tiring, hating every single moment of it.

_I hear pounding feet in the In the streets below and the And the women crying and the And the children know that there That there's something wrong And it's hard to believe that love will prevail_

More gunfire, and Reno suddenly soared over their heads, growling low in his chest as he did. "You are interfering in Turk business, please withdraw now!"

"He's hit, Reno, he's hit, damn it--" Rude let it GO, FUCK THIS. "ZACK--ZACK over here--damn it, ZACK look over here!!"

As Reno got the chopper down lower, Rude threw caution to the wind, and as he knew, possibly his life too --leaping down, Rude leveled his now rather tiny looking Enforcer at the fast approaching and baffled looking SOLDIERS--"BACK OFF, now, move it, move it!!" Zack was down, and hit, and hurt, and Rude wanted to vomit, in sheer horror at what was happening to a FRIEND--a good friend, and good man.

He went to his side and shook his head, again waving off the SOLDIERS, hoping Reno would GET the fucking bird landed and get over there.

"I'm sorry, buddy, we TRIED to get here in time, it was all a setup, Zack, I'm so sorry, I really am, fuck, we tried so hard--and we still failed--where --where is Cloud, Zack, do you know--?"

...hit was an understatement.

The SOLDIER had finally fallen to the ground, exhausted, bleeding, and in pain. "D-don't worry 'bout it, Rudy." He managed to speak, a mall river of blood coming from the corner of his mouth. "Ya d-did what ya could, s'what m-matte--" He broke off, coughing harshly, his stomach feeling like it was on fire as his bile slowly leaked out from several different shots.

"C-cloud's 'bouta two mile hike back tw'rds th' mansion... s'bad, Rude...real fuckin' bad, dunno if'e's gonna make it or not..." He could hear the SOLDIERs milling around, his eyes hazing over as he looked up, spotting Reno heading that way.

"'ey, Red...s-sorry 'bout runnin' out on ya th' other night...s'not like me, y'know, notta love'em'n'leave'em kinda guy." He knew that Rude wouldn't know a damn thing about what he was talking about, would PROBABLY own it up to him being near death and rambling, so he was grateful for that, knowing he NEEDED to say it, and that Reno wouldn't get jumped about it right away. "Had ta try'n help Seph...fucker jus'..." He shuddered, hard, "Th' whole fuckin' TOWN...Cloud's fuckin' FAMILY... I-- I never really got ta meet Momma Strife, WANTED ta, an' never got ta. Guess now I get ta, but s'not the way I woulda wanted ta, y'know?"

Arriving at the dangerous place that called to him like his mother's voice, Vergil leaped off the big black bike and then sent it down into the yawning chasm, as he stood in the cold river's water, waiting for Dante. He wouldn't need that bike again, and Dante sure as hell wasn't going to need his. This was ending here, today, Dante was coming home with him--and they would begin new lives together--where they BELONGED.

And as the rightful RULERS of HELL--and soon enough, Hell on Gaia as well.

Dante would come around--after all, they were HEART and SOUL mated now--there WASN'T any backing down or any of that shit.

Here he came, the bike roaring up. Vergil waited and smiled, unsheathing Yamato again, and then Force Edge as well. He rarely had used the massive blade, but he was pretty sure Dante was going to take some convincing this day. He didn't mind. Not even a little.

Dante's bike rolled to a stop and crashed to its side as the half-demon strode across the cold river, Rebellion held tightly in his hand as he glared at Vergil. "Vergil... come ON, don't DO this! I love you, I really do, but there's things that keep me from STAYING in Hell. As much as I'd LOVE to stay there... there's some things I'd rather NOT have you get in the middle of. A man has to take care of SOME things on his own, and THIS is onea those things." He could already tell that Vergil wasn't going to take that as an answer, and he shook his head, hating this.

"Don't MAKE me stop this. I know what you wanna do, and I know what you're thinkin', and I don't wanna DO that. Those topside haven't done a damn thing to deserve the Temen Ni Gru--it would be SELFISH to raise it!"

He sighed, already feeling twitchy. "Just...let it GO, Vergil. Come home with me, and let us just LIVE. You don't even have to DEAL with anyone else if you don't want to...just... don't MAKE me have to choose like this."

"NO Dante, YOU are coming HOME, and now, right now--enough of this! You are wasting time, our time, my time! We have much to do!"

He held out both swords, one in each hand, and watched his lover's face carefully--this was dangerous, and in a way he hadn't really anticipated --Dante was far more concerned that he not raise the great Tower than he had expected, and this angered him.

"You traitor! I love you, brother, you are my soul now and always were, but this--this is absurd! You cannot SIDE with creatures so far below us they are not worthy to clean our VOMIT, Dante! Get ahold of yourself--and see-- this is our true destiny, come to it with me, by my side--it's not about ME raising the Tower, it's about US doing it--and I WILL make you see it my way, any way I HAVE to. This is not a lesson for your mate in OBEDIENCE, now, this is--BUSINESS, you might say."

He waited, and already knew how this was going to go, Dante was wearing that half smile of angry pseudo amusement, and as his other half drew Rebellion up to fighting readiness, Vergil's heart sank.

"You would PREFER to fight me--you are willing, even, to battle me over this? Dante--just--I will do this on my own, but we belong in Hell, not here. This was never really home, not for you either. Come home with me, and I will take care of the rest. I am GOING to do this, it's for you as much as myself."

Dante narrowed his eyes, body beginning to glow with the signs of his devil trigger. He was getting frustrated with his brother, something he HATED getting to be, but he couldn't HELP it when Vergil was being...well...Vergil.

"Damnit, NO." He glared at Vergil, "NO! If YOU force me, then I can force YOU, and FUCK that, I'm NOT gonna just do what YOU wanna do when YOU don't wanna do what I wanna do!" He snarled, shaking his head as he held Rebellion to the side, approaching his twin carelessly. "Come on, we settle this OUR way."

With a mighty crash of blades, the two joined in their deathly dance, one that Dante wasn't sure HOW it would end.

_He'd rather FIGHT me--maybe kill me. Probably kill me--than even talk to me about it--than to even try--_

But he matched blade for blade, Yamato being sheathed fast in favor of Force Edge alone, crashing and screaming against the merciless steel of Rebellion--Dante was-- fighting hard already, and he seemed to be pushing Vergil, every time the swords met he shoved at him brutally, and Vergil returned it, feeling a vague edge of strange panic.

This wasn't going as it should.

At ALL.

Dante suddenly caught him DEEP in the side, and Vergil cried out, shocking himself with the sound, himself stunned that this was going so far so fast. Startled, he went into Devil Trigger, and turned on Dante, knocking him to the ground, seeing with even more alarm that Dante was also transforming.

"Dante, wait--damn it--just-- LISTEN to me--"

His brother sent him sprawling, and Vergil reared up again in real anger, both of them glowing and fully changed. "That's the way you want it, that's the way you get it, then!"

The worst battle of their lives was fully underway, and in moments Vergil began to weaken in exhaustion--and Dante still pressed him on, still relentless, until the elder fell, face first, changing back from Devil mode, gasping into the water that filled his mouth.

"Am I...being defeated...??"

Even now, Dante pushed him on, to his doom.

_This... this is the only WAY..._

Dante didn't WANT to do this, GODS he didn't, but it was obvious that no matter what HE said, it wasn't going to GO any other way. Vergil WANTED to raise the tower, WANTED to wipe out humanity, and as much as he WANTED to give in, to let it happen... that tiny little tug of guilt at damning his child to Hell on Gaea overrode everything. Someone who wasn't even BORN, who had never seen the light of day shouldn't be damned to live through something that would be nothing but a miserable existence for them.

"Just STOP it, Vergil! Goddamnit, if you DON'T...you KNOW what I have to do, and I DON'T fuckin' wanna DO that!" He growled, pushing at Vergil. "Just get UP! If you're so goddamn stubborn about wanting this, then get UP! FIGHT for it!!"

"As you WISH, Dante!!"

Vergil got to his feet, moving Force Edge into position, and took a long look at Dante, who was also readying Rebellion. This was it, then. He could feel it, and his heart was beating very fast, all of a sudden. The beauty of what had happened between them before now seemed--almost as if it HADN'T happened, and yet of course it had, it was deathless, even though they were not.

_We are bound for all time, no matter what..._

Dante seemed--FELT--grim, as if he had already decided, had already given up--and Vergil understood, really, because he too had already decided to stay his course, just as it was, hold steady, stand true. True to himself, to what he truly believed was best. Even if he died pursuing this dream, this desire--if he did anything differently at this moment, then he would have sold himself out in totality.

"Dante..."

_There wasn't anything else left to say._

_Forever, it's forever, there's nothing to fear._

_And he will follow._

He ran, legs feeling numb and dead already, and when Rebellion cut across his heart, there was the momentary rush of terrible pain, and then there was only the loss, the weakness, the incalculable DEFEAT.

_DANTE...!..._

Vergil sank down, clutching his slashed chest, and then got up again, having taken up the amulet, severed by Dante's mortal strike into his heart and lungs.

_Dying...but I'm not done._

He began to back towards the cliff.

"Hey...HEY!" Dante hadn't expected him to just get up and start walking away, and really, he hadn't wanted him to get up at ALL, as grim and horrible as it sounded. "Vergil! Don't you... don't you EVEN think about doin' that!" He could see where he was heading, and he wasn't ABOUT to let him DO that. "Vergil! Gods, I--I'm SORRY! I-- I..."

He could see the look in Vergil's eyes, and he dropped Rebellion and took off towards him. "Vergil, NO!"

_You're sorry, alright..._

Vergil brought up Yamato like lightning, holding it at Dante's throat as he raced towards him, the deadly point digging in. "You son of a bitch. That was meant to be fatal, wasn't it? Did you think I would die instantly, or that I would thrash in agony a while, give you a show, before you got to be the great hero and end the pain? I SAW the amazement--and --I saw disappointment, Dante, DISAPPOINTMENT!!-- in your eyes --when I was still standing when you turned around! THIS, you do to me, for a one night stand's BEARING?!"

His eyes narrowed in the still severe pain of his healing chest, and his voice suddenly changed utterly, the sad sound of absolute defeat, of a heart hurt that went far deeper than the mortal wound.

"Leave me and go, if you don't want to be trapped here. Look above, the portals are CLOSING now. I'm--staying here, Dante. This place--was our father's home--"

Stepping back, he watched Dante's face as he fell in slow motion horror backwards, Dante reaching for him, Yamato slashing his hand in that last move of punishment for his crime.

_BASTARD._

_NOW you're sorry, and it's TOO. LATE._


	15. Chapter 15

SPECIAL NOTES:

For purposes of this FVerse of DMC/FF7, Constantine is an OC who is Mundus, and Judas is his brother.

The slash across his hand hurt like Hell, but Dante pressed forward, allowing himself to fall over the edge of the cliff without even a second thought. "You IDIOT. Vergil, you want to destroy the world, and I can't LET you do that! I want you to WANT to be where WE'RE happy, and we WERE happy up there BEFORE you got it in your head to raise the Tower! That DAMN tower has nearly destroyed us, and it hasn't even been RAISED, what do you think it'd do if I LET you raise it? Huh? We'd be DONE, FINISHED, and you KNOW it!"

The free-fall was the worst part of the descent, and he couldn't help but fear what lay at the bottom. He could see Vergil ahead of him, and a slight rush ran through him once he realized that whatever lay ahead...if he could make amends with Vergil... they could face any trials head on...together.

Vergil saw Dante above him, falling down and following, and he was, to some extent shocked to see this, and he would have been shocked if he hadn't done so, as well.

But all was not forgiven, even if they DID survive the horrific fall. And that was far from certain- Vergil had gone over to punish Dante, in a dramatic and really theatrical attempt to shame and horrify him, and at least that had been successful, that much, he had read on his brother's face as he went over. But Dante had tried to KILL him--really kill him, not merely wound, not merely weaken, but kill-- and Vergil wasn't about to let that go so easy.

And for what?

For the hellspawn of ONE NIGHT of cheating??

Or was it for the whole human race? Whatever it was, Vergil surmised it was not enough to warrant this terrible betrayal of their love. Their BOND.

Dull, nearly lifeless violet eyes looked up at the two, a slight smile on his face. "Y'know whatcha gotta do... I know ya don't LIKE it, but s'th' only way. Jus'... take carea Cloud for me, for Seph too... he wasn't all right in th' head... he...he wasn't SEPH..."

Reno had put the chopper on autopilot and locked it in hover, dropping down the ladder and pelting toward Zack with his eyes cold, holding back the tears because according to rumor Turks didn't cry, and it wouldn't do for him to be seen doing so over someone who was supposed to be a target. "I'll take carea him, Zack, I promise. ..gotta get him outta town, though. Old man'll try ta find him and finish th'job if I don't."

At the words "Do what ya gotta do" Reno nodded, borrowing the Enforcer from Rude, the big 44 magnum heavy in the teen's slender hands as he held it to Zack's forehead, one tender kiss on his friend's brow at the same moment he pulled the trigger, simply throwing the gun aside as it clattered across the stone, then began to walk away, utterly disgusted with the scene and with what he'd been made to do.

"I gotta find Strife" were Reno's last words as he went looking for the blond grunt, not wanting a damn thing to do with this scene now. ..at all.

"Reno..."

God, this was a fucking NIGHTMARE to end all nightmares, and it was far from over, wasn't it?

"I--I'll stay here, with him--keep the wolves away, gonna try to get him buried, not sure I'm gonna get to, gonna TRY to--" The SOLDIERs were milling around, watching what Reno and Rude were doing with the now deceased young SOLDIER, and there were already calls being made, as to their highly suspect behavior. This was GOING to be reported to the top, of that, Rude already undertood--but the problem was, they had FAILED. They had utterly failed Zack--and now the only hope was to try to not fail Cloud as well.

Zacks last request.

Save Cloud.

It was too late for Sephiroth, apparently. Reno took off at a run, and Rude began to use his boot to dig a shallow grave.

Blood Lake.

A bit of an understatement, but the name was what it was.

Dante was just seconds behind Vergil when they reached the bottom of their descent, though he would have rather landed on land than in the middle of the sea.

The momentum of the fall sent him rocketing towards the very bottom of the body of liquid, and knocked the breath from him as he continued a now slowed plummet. In an effort to fill his lungs, he gasped, and instead inhaled a lungful of crimson, though he was near enough to the surface now that it wasn't something fatal, just disgusting.

Flopping out on the shoreline, he gagged harshly and vomited the blood, grimacing at it once he realized what it was that he'd inhaled. "Oh, SICK... Ughnastyfuckers..." He rolled over onto his back and looked around, idly wondering who in the Hell would want a huge lake of BLOOD at the bottom of a CLIFF. He was starting to think that the full demons were a bunch of sick fucks, at least, a FEW of them were.

Dante didn't even have time to REACT before Yamato was thrust through his chest, and then pulled out, Vergil staggering weakly, shaking, glaring down at him.

"You ...humanloving vermin, you are SCUM, Dante, utter scum, and you will never see me again."

He turned and walked away as fast as his trembling legs would carry him, never looking back, knowing Dante would of course pursue him. And he couldn't even LOOK at him again now, not--after this. He tried to Trigger but was too weak, and so he broke into a shambling run, praying his legs did not fail him, as they felt they might, at any moment.

Dante could go to He--never mind. But Vergil wanted away from him, did not want to hear him, to see him, worst of all to feel his TOUCH.

"Vergil, wait!" Dante scrambled up, grasping at his chest as he took off after Vergil. He hadn't quite expected THAT, but of course, he HAD hurt his brother, had hurt him badly, and he didn't fault him really. He slipped, and while he was trying to get back up, Vergil had gotten further away, and now someone was blocking his way, though he didn't see the other demon standing there as he started to go towards Vergil again.

"OOMPH!"

He'd plowed right into the other, and after hitting the ground, he blinked hard and looked UP--FAR up-- gulping audibly. At eighteen, he was still prone to his childish moments, and this was likely going to end up BEING one of those moments.

"Y'ah gottah watch where you're GOIN', young'n. Yoah QUEEN bebah is takin' off, and yuh gotta let him COOL off sommat. Yuh done hurt him, did'n yuh?"

Judas threw back his ankle length mane, and turned to look at the middle brother, now at his side, looking down at Dante balefully. "Leave him to me, Judas. I am not joking, go back topside, back to your fucking mansion in the mud. I have business with the sons of Sparda. You KNOW this."

"Yoah watch yuh MOUTH, Consty. I got to teach yuh who's the big devil agin? Yuh doan HOLD a lesson too well, do yuh?"

"Listen to me--he is dangerous, and now that the --change--failed, it's not as if he's any USE to us!"

"Git yuh ass outta heah, Consty boah. I'm handling it, see? Me and this boah, we met that time befoah, he knows to be a good boah, now doan he? I saved him from yuh THEN, and I reckn' I do it agin! GIT! I mean it, now git, boah!! "

It hadn't been a pretty meeting, Dante had been demonslaying, and Constantine --who was ever looking to HARM the twins of Sparda--had been about to deliver some pretty deadly damage to the youngest-- Judas had stepped in and knocked his ass to next week--Dante, however, had not really seemed to GET that there was friend as well as foe, and Judas had finally released him, though grudgingly.

Constantine retreated, furious. But this was not over. He looked to where Vergil was still fleeing, and smiled.

And followed.

Judas kneeled down to Dante, grinning.

"Yuh remember me boah?"

"Gee, what the Hell gave you THAT idea?" Dante sighed, moving to stand up, glaring over at Constantine. "Consty? Great Hades, man, are you gonna LET this backwoods idiot call you that?" Regardless of if Judas had saved him before or not, the youngest Sparda was NOT exactly intelligent enough to know when enough was enough and when he should just shut the Hell up.

He barely spared either of them a glance as he started to move past them, "Dude, I don't care what you have to say, he's pissed, and I gotta make this right. YOU--prissyman--stay the fuck away from me, 'cause next time, I won't be caught off-guard." He found himself barred in by Judas again, and his patience was starting to wear thin.

"If I were you, I'd back the fuck off. I might not be as big, or as badass as you, but when I'm fuckin' pissed, I can and WILL kick your motherfuckin' cajun ass from here to the very Bowels of this Gods forsaken place and BACK again." He was starting to glow slightly, and he was certain that his Devil Trigger would be even more powerful now that he was essentially HOME... but he was wondering if it really WOULD be enough to make good on his rather detailed threat.

"Boah, yuh dumber a rabid addled SKUNK, ain't yuh! Don't yuh know, that there's mah brotha, and I SAVED yer worthless lil ass from him, AGIN. You got a funny way of showin' gratitude, but that's okay, I reckn' yuh learn eventually."

He moved faster than the eye could really follow, and hefted Dante up and onto his shoulder, swatting him on the ass as he did so. "Nuh stop WRIGGLIN, boah! I'm takin yuh sommre SAFE, till Consty gits this out of his system--he goan to look foah yuh bitchbrother, and I know he has a bad intent. Gotta git yuh secured, then I look foah Vergil, deal? Yeah, DEAL."

He headed for his own little place in Hell, and as soon as he got Dante tied up GOOD, he was going to look for Vergil, to TRY to save him from Constantine.

Vergil finally turned at bay, as Constantine cornered him-- "What do you want, you filthy bastard!"

He was still weak, and not in any condition to do this. But he had no choice, it seemed, and this was the evil bastard that had torn the family apart, murdered his parents--he was willing to do battle, even in this sad shape, he was, and he stood his ground bravely, eyes flashing, even as Constantine slowly drew the long and deadly length of Fatality. "You want me, come and get me, scum!"

Constantine only SMILED.

This was to be SAVORED.

"Y'know, I'M not the damsel in distress, VERGIL is, and I can't HELP him if I'm trussed up like a prizebuck!" Dante was struggling as Judas tied him up, not making it EASY, but not getting away. "Come ON, SERIOUSLY, fuckin' let me GO! Big bastard, fucker, pickin' on people half your size!"

He GLARED at Judas, "Just because you SAVED my ass before doesn't mean a damn thing! I'm NOT some little pussyboy you can shove around, I have a lover, and I need to GET to him!!"

As Vergil faced off with Constantine, in the fight of his life--Dante would soon see that Judas meant to KEEP him--and there was no two ways around it. The big alpha devil really meant him no ill will, nor even to Vergil, but he was taking a serious liking to Dante by this point--even if the young demonkiller had no use for HIM.

OR any gratitude for being saved, for having his ass RESCUED, yet again.

"Boah, I GOT to go after them, yu kinna HANDLE it, mah brotha gonna wipe the floor o' Hades WITH yuh ASS, boah, now simmer down and lemmi go get yer little bebah--jest rest EASY, Dante-boah, yuh gits so fired up, and hell, boah--yuh a YOUNGN' still, doan yuh GIT that yet??"

He shook his head and took off, ankle length mane swaying as he hurried away, leaving a quite helpless Dante Sparda to curse after him as he would.

AND TO BE CONTINUED IN REVELATIONS, THE SECOND PART OF THE FURYVERSE SERIES.


End file.
